Azrael
by Jinn Twins
Summary: A bit AU, though it could have happened. Involves various Trek crews no TOS or ENT, and rated M for romance, language, a dark plotline, and random other incidents. R&R, is updated once to three times weekly.
1. The Adventure Begins

DISCLAIMER: Star Trek is not mine. The _Azrael_, Jayvin Belar, Tapel Enaren, and all other crewmembers of the ship are mine, though. Hahaha...but we wish Trek was mine anyway...sorry Gene Roddenbery, much as we love you, we still covet your legacy.

Okay, this one won't be too long but I swear the other chapters will be longer than three pages each. In fact, some will be more than ten, I can almsot guaruntee. Friends? Good...

Somewhat AU, but who cares? Please R&R, and read our other stories as well (since there's a pair of twins of this account..heehee)

**Read on!**

* * *

**THE ADVENTURE BEGINS**

The silver ship gently drifted into space from the old hiding spot, christened with the name Azrael. The ship wasn't new, but it was a dream that had been taken into infinity. The silver hull was spotless and it's shine was of a perfect quality. It's smooth shape gently drifted near the glaring sun, and its powerful ablative shields blended in perfectly with the hull. The windows looking out to space were peaceful, all of a paralellogram shape. In its totality, the ship was beautiful.

Inside, a slender girl walked around, barking orders at the men and women around her. Several Terrans were visible, as well as a Betazoid and a Trill. A Romulan security guard stood next to the turbolift, and the first officer had purple eyes and no small measure of telapathic powers. The teenaged girl was the obvious leader, though, her blazing grey eyes matching everyone else's.

Brushing the disobedient, red, and uneven short hair out of her eyes, the girl began to move towards her command chair. It was an atypical hairstyle, with each small group of hair being slightly longer or shorter than the other groups, and it resulted in a wild look to the calm girl. Her cool grey eyes, blazing with different shades of grey and yet still relatively calm, looked and matched the role as well.

"Sub-Commander Tapel. Status?" she spoke.

"All systems operational, Commander," he reported. As the first officer, it was his business to know. "Phaser and disruptor banks are functional and fully charged, shields at maximum and armour at 100 efficiency. She's all your, Commander," he finished with a bit of a drawl.

"Less chitchat and more work, I think," she said grinning and pulling out a padd. "More work on domjots for me, I like this game..." Grinning, many members of the bridge crew shook their heads and continued their own work...but not games.

* * *

Jayvin sighed as she retired to her quarters. She was so tired; this wasn't the first day she had been commanding for what had seemed forever. Not that she was complaining. She had been a Starfleet hopeful on Trill, a half Vulcan, and half Trill, she had been told. She knew she was Vulcan, though the only apparent feature from that was the pointed ears. She didn't have green blood, no facial ridges, and had no black hair. She did, however, look human aside from her spots, and ears, of course. But the wars of Trill by the extremists had destroyed her chances.

Her parents had died when she was seven, and she had become lonely and self-sufficient, having refused to conform or even return to society other than to steal credits and finally a ship. A starship. After modifications, if became the warship she had wanted – the Azrael. At age seventeen, here she was, commanding. She had handpicked her crew based on ability, not history.

**Tapel Enaren** was a scientific hybrid that had been created, not born. His telepathic powers allowed him discreet entry into minds and even a bit of mind control, depending on the strength of the mind. He was a bit of an enigma, and very, very smart, a genius in his own right. He was only 19, at that.

**Chalmed deBoer** had once been a Starfleet officer, she was Bajoran but everyone still called her Lieutenant deBoer. She was a cheerful engineer, her chief officer of engineering.

**Marcus Kent**, her CMO. He loved to work in sickbay, and had gained most of his ecperience in the Terran Institute for Medicine and Medical Skills. Hence his Terran heritage. Starfleet had allowed a parent of his to die against the Borg as a sacrifice to allow a small group of people away, and he had never really forgiven them. Nevertheless, he was kind and mostly unbiased.

**Hope** was Jayvin's best friend, more or less, though it wasn't made known. She was a freed Orion slave girl, in top shape and definately beautiful. She was pretty smart and well spoken. She was also their security officer in the bridge crew and 'senior staff'. Only 18, she had seen so much already, and was ready for more.

Her crew was made of the people of dreams. To her, at least.

And it was well-earned, well deserved.

* * *

Sub-Commander Tapel Enaren watched his bridge commander leave witha sigh. His alert lavender eyes shifted from one officer to the other, cat-like slits becoming thinner and more alert to movement. He was literally a demon, and he could see the people behind him whispering. Of course they were, he could hear their every word. Not that his history was much to be proud of though...how could he blame them?

About 25 years ago, the idea had been to create a super-human being, but not with Terran genetics. A lot of Betazoid DNA had been disposed of and the telepathic part had been strengthened and placed into him so that the immature body that was the experiment could develop a cerebral cortex designed for telepathy. Jem'Hadar genes for hardiness and strength had been put into his body, though he looked like a normal human on the outside. Klingon adaptabitily and strength. Vulcan lengthiness of life. Caitian eyes, hearing, and smell, which had actually rubbed off to the point where he often went into small or dark spaces on four legs. Terran genius. Of course he was a freak on a constant freak-show.

His first few years of life had been spent as an exhibition for all the Federation scientists. He could play chess at the same time he was answering quiestions or taking a test. Not at all hard, not for Tapel Enaren. Tapel, his last name, was the name of his creator, Marion Tapel. She was a genius of science as it was, and he remained in her debt for his creation. Enaren was a Betazoid name, after an ancient war hero. All in all, not too bad.

It had been in his fifth year of life that it had been discovered that certain personality traits could be added to any being. He was the test subject. They had added a profound desire to command or to help, and a flair for engineering as well as weapons. Subsequently, he had trained in Klingon battle styles and Vulcan martial arts; phaser and modern weapon training had always been his favourite. He began to develop a love of learning math and science, and as time progressed he became able to write literature, though he enjoyed playing intruments more, particularly the flute. It became obvious to the scientists that he was no longer just 'sentient life'; he was more like 'super sentient life' due to his constant awareness of the environment. They began to fear him for his strength, and although he posessed a rather outgoing nature, he did not know how to love and was placed into stasis in order to keep the people of the Federation safe. It had been a decision made by the Federation's president, who had taken a liking to the experiment. However, it had also been his decision to destroy the child's future.

Almost thirteen years later, Jayvin Belar had freed him; her Trill step-father had been a high-level Federation scientist with an access code that he unwittingly gave to his step-daughter. Feeling sorry for the boy, she had freed him. He had been fifteen at the time, but no matter what he did, it always seemed she was more mature, somehow _older_ in a way. She was always smarter, faster, stronger, and it irked him. But she was his friend, and vice versa, and so he never got too mad at her.

Of course, when her parents had been killed—or sacrificed?--by the Federation's encounter with the Borg at Wolf 359 less than two years later, she had been heartbroken, devastated, and crushed. She ran away from her Trill society, where she had never really been accepted anyway. A hybrid, she had never been cared about. And thus he hadn't even tried to find her; he hadn't even heard from her until she offered him a command position on a ship that for once, she would control.

Their heist of the prototype from the Delta Arm's fleetyard One was an interesting experience. The Azrael had been a ship built without plans, mostly just by engineers in their off-time. It was impractical in terms of crew quarters and warp engines (as well as a few other areas that were purely technical), but in all other ways, including offence and defence, it was literally the top of it's class. After stealing and upgrading it, partially with Borg-like technology and partially with anything else they could get, they had a working vessel. Eventually, Jayvin had bought materials to standardizre the panels, making a look that conveyed efficiency and sterility throughout the ship.

* * *

Eventually, Sub-Commander Tapel was forced to leave the bridge, but only for his exercise time, when he would practice weapon targeting and hand-to-hand combat.

He passed his CO on the way out, but wasn't given the time to say hello as she left the area immediately.

Sighing, he wondered if there was any possible way to ever be friendly with that teen.

* * *

Jayvin had just entered the bridge when an alert shrieked out.

"Sub-Commander!" she snapped, turning immediately to Tapel.

"There appears to be an unfriendly vessel in our area, sir, Federation configuration. Downloading specs," he reported. His panel beeped twice and he averted his eyes from the viewscreen. "Miranda class, sir, the USS United. Weak points are warp nacelles." This could be easy, if they really tried.

* * *

"Sir, they're hailing us," offered the communications officer.

"Stand by to cut off communication. Lieutenant Hope, power phasers and disruptors. Raise shields," Belar said, not at all worried.

"3...2...1...cut communication and _fire_," the commander drawled. The Federation vessel barely had its shield up in time. "Now, just for the fun of it, hail them," she ordered.

* * *

Captain Marshall Reed of the USS United wasn't expecting the exceptional damage he had jsut taken. He didn't expect the hostile vessel to hail them, either.

"Answer it," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," he was greeted in responce. As the image on the viewscreen came up, he was even more surprised to see a teenage female as commander.

"Captain Marshall Reed of the United here."

"This is Commander Jayvin Belar of the Azrael. Here are our terms; you will allow us to board freely or face the consequinces. You have three minutes to make your choice, fleeing is an indication that you wish to be killed. Azrael out."

The viewscreen winked out immediately. Sighing, Captain Reed tapped his combadge. "Security, this is the captain. Tell the teams that we're going to have company."

* * *

It was one of the worst firefights she'd ever been in. Lieutenant Hope of Orion had already taken down more than twenty people, leading her crew to the bridge. She knew Jayvin wanted something from this place, but what was it?

"Clear! Move on!" she called to her people. "Move!"

After about twenty minutes, a combadge call from the Azrael came through.

"Hope, we need you to do this _fast._" Set the ship's self-destruct sequence by placing your false tricorder in the engineering room, directly on the warp core. Download the message links from all of the private conversations on the ship, and hurry. Set the self-destruct for four minutes. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. Boarding team out."

With that, she headed towards her team. "We're going on to engineering, people. Now move it."

* * *

So how did you like it? This is only the first chapter, but I've tried my best to paint the two most important members of the crew so far. Hope comes next...what an anomaly. Any Trek species you want me to put on-board?

Tell me!

No more hybrids though, please. And remember...eventually I actually _will_ put a Borg in here.

R&R, and check back SOON for more!


	2. Blurred Lines

DISCLAIMER: It isn't mine, unfortunately. We all love Gene Roddenbery, though. I don't profit from writing Star Trek fics, so don't sue me. (Warning sign: Suers wil be shot, survivors will be shot again lol)

Finishing off the first few scenes was hard...especially last chapter. You see, I already have the last four chapters or so written...starting from here, now that I've already written the ending..it's hard. But I'm here!

For in the story so far:

**CO** – commanding officer

**Tharalon Radiation** – what Shinzon used to kill the Romulan Senate.

Inkybays, anyways, and a meep to you too, read on to see what happens next. Special thanks to my twin, Yavie, who has been incredibly nice in allowing me to post a Star Trek story, for one..(small voice: don't hurt me!)

**Phasers are fully powered, commence operation Delta and have fun...**

* * *

**BLURRED LINES**

"Lieutenant! We're having difficulties taking the engine room!" the voice emitted from Hope's combadge was panicked, or so it sounded.

"Commence operation Orpheus, Ensign," she remarked almost casually. Orpheus, besides being a figure in greek drama, was the name of an interesting weapon they were almost always forced into using...not that she cared or anything.

It utilized tharalon radiation within a small radius, and due to its size only took about thirty seconds to power up. When used, the radiation would literally decay people and their flesh...while they still stood living. Once the process was completed, which usually took about fifteen to twenty seconds per ten or so people in a single area, and to protect their team, small protective forcefields were activated in the immediate few centimetres around each person. It always worked, well enough that Lieutenant deBoer had been trying for months to put it into a phaser-like handheld weapon.

"Sir!" called one of her security members, and pointed behind her. Turning, she faced a nightmare of colossal proportions..Starfleet officers at both sides and nowhere to run. She faced them like she was a senior officer, one of an elite class. Then she whispered to one of her team, "Cover me."

Flipping forward, she stood in front of a Vulcan Starfleet officer, and before he could prceed to make a move, she slashed his throat out with her knife-sharp fingernails. Like any other Orion slave girl, she was fiesty enough, and _dangerous_ enough to want that as a talent. Reaching forward, she grabbed another officer and used him as a shield, killing him after she was done. She activated her personal forcefield, and signaled that her away team should do the same with a nod. She grinned evilly at the two security team heads trying to stop them from moving on.

"Now who's losing?"

* * *

She was tired of waiting. She knew it took a long time over there, but she had sent Hope to get the information needed. Hope could do fine. She was sure of it. But dammit, she thought to herself, why did she send the Orion?

"Commander? Are you alright?" a gentle query came. She turned quickly to find Sub-Commander Tapel Enaren. His slitted eyes were open and evidently worried. Usually, Jayvin didn't pace. Or look worried. Or feel like a nervous breakdown waiting to happen.

_Oh. Shit._ With a harsh mental slap to herself, she remembered with a start that Tapel was a telepath.

"Yes, I'm fine. What leads you to question your commander?" she snapped right back at his gentleness. Almost immediately, she regretted it. If he had been a Catian, his ears and tail would have drooped. As it was, his whole body took on a different character.

"I apologize, sir, I was just wondering," he responded as one of the commander's flock of sheep, one of her people. Jayvin grinned inwardly at her own analogy.

_One of her sheep._

Yeah, right.

Hope was anything but a sheep to be led. If anything, she occasionally led Jayvin. When she got back...

The young commander stepped off the bridge and into her senior staff's briefing room, tapping her combadge as soon as the door was safely closed.

"Azrael to Hope," she said, praying that the former slave girl wasn't too busy to answer her combadge's beep.

"Hope here. We're moving out, beam us back as quickly as you can."

Breathing a silent sigh of relief and thanking every god that she could think of that Hope was still alive. She had known how hard this would be.

"Good. We'll beam you back now. One moment, halt all teams. Azrael out."

"Belar to Transporter Room Three. Beam back the away team on my mark. Begin now."

In a few minutes, she could talk to Hope...

* * *

Hope was finally aboard again, and breathed a sigh of relief. She could go back to her post, and stop having to make life-or-death decisions for more than just herself. There was more to helping herself in life though, and it was a bit obvious to her.

"Jayvin to Hope."

"Hope here," she responded automatically to her combadge.

"Could you come to the senior staff lounge...please?"

Worried, she took a moment to respond. How had this gotten this bad? There wasn't any way it could have been...

"Yes. I'm on my way now."

Practically running out of the transporter room, she got to Jayvin as quickly as she could.

* * *

She entered and was immediately taken aback.

Jayvin was a brilliant tactician, a graceful warrior, a genius scientist, and so much more...but this was her secret from the world.

She had no real control over herself at times, and was prone to killing people, destroying things, and sometimes got to the point where she would try to kill _herself_. It was scary at times, and one of the reasons Hope had to keep in shape. It had always been amazing to her how multiple personalities could change and scar a person to the point of this kind of reaction.

She was the only one that could distract and stop this mastermind at times from destroying herself and killing others. Belar had almost killed her before. Had almost killed herself before. That was before Hope had found out how to calm the beserker and stall the storm.

Jayvin lay in a heap on the floor, cut with glass from shattered decorative items. As soon as she heard footsteps, she rose to greet the Orion with an angered kind of snarl. Grateful that the door was shut, Hope rushed over to her and pinned her before the teenager could hurt her.

"Shhh..." she whispered as she struggled to calm the beast of a child. Suddenly, she was thrown off.

_It was going to be one of those days._

"Tapis..." she almost purred softly, trying to calm the darker side of the commander, the dark personality that resided within her. The Hyde to her Jekyll. Pulling her phaser, she set it on light stun, knowing it would only work for about a minute, and fired point-blank at her commander, who fell almost immediately. With that, she came down on her, beginning to taunt...and to tease. That was the way to calm her, the only one she could use and keep Jayvin's problem a secret. She had to show a kind of love.

Kissing her gently, she felt Tapis-Jayvin stop struggling and move into the kiss, beginning to show less of the angry passion and more of a lustful one. With that, Hope trailed her fingernails lightly down her prey's chest, hearing the small whine emitted from her commander's mouth. With the small opening, Hope plunged her tounge into her friend-and foe's-mouth. Such a reveral in roles, with the Orion female being the real commander, wasn't all too rare anymore...the more stress her friend was in, the worse her lapses into Tapis were.

* * *

Nearly an hour later, the predatorial glint in the girl's eyes had faded, and it was on the tail end of her lapse.

Whispering softly, Hope carefully dared to ask,

"Jayvin?"

Her face turned upward, looking at Hope's now.

"I—I'm sorry, Hope...I have to be the only Commander to ever be like this..." she trailed off sadly.

"It's alright. We agreed on this before, that if I ever found a way to stop you, I would. Remember? I'm always here for you. And it's not like it bothers me, Jay." her green skin turning pink at the cheeks, Hope continued, "it's not like I prefer men anyway..." Jayvin grinned slightly at that, standing up and beginning to try and help herself up, as well as clean up the broken pieces of her life.

* * *

Enaren felt a sheer rage that he had never truly felt from anyone on the ship before overcome him. Holding his head, he pushed past it and continued to command in Jayvin's absence from the bridge. He felt it increase, subside, and then he saw an apprehensive Hope trying not to rush and dismally failing as she started towards the senior staff's lounge area. As the door shut, he heard her running somewhere; he wondered what was going on. And eventually, as the rage had calmed, it had been replaced with a kind of...well...lust. He had no idea what he was feeling, and fortunately, the other bridge crewmembers couldn't tell either, mostly for the fact that they weren't telepathic.

He noticed a slight whoosh-ing sound coming from a door and realized that it was time for him to relinquish control of the bridge. Jayvin, looking a bit unsettled, slumped into her command chair, and waved Hope off with one hand, who turned immediately to Tapel.

"Sub-Commander Tapel, could you _please_ tell Commander Belar that she needs to rest? Lack of sleep constitutes a reason to leave the bridge," Hope asked, then, turning back to Jayvin, she said, "and will you please _listen _to him!"

When she shook her head no, it looked like Hope was about to storm angrily off and ransack the ship, but her expressiong changed when she saw the pleading, begging look in her CO's eyes. Gently putting her grreen-skinned hand on her friend's head, she realized that their friedship wasn't a secret any longer anyway. So what? Jay had wanted to hide their friendship for their working relationships, but she didn't care much. She gently rubbed the commander's hair, messing it up, and then walked off the bridge.

* * *

So there's only three pages. Oh, well...next one coming soon!

I promise! It'll be good!

Anyway...suggestions for species will be appreciated...and just a question...what do you think of the plot so far?

If I could improve on the characters in any way, and I do mean _any_ character, how?

Suggestions, criticism, even flames are appreciated! Because with flames, I can make BBQ!

Heh.

-Anij Jinn


	3. Encounter at Virgo III

DISCLAIMER: Don't own, don't sue. Or, if you prefer, refer to my other wonderful disclaimers.

Anyway, I promise I'll have this chappy done today, I'm in a...good? mood right now. Which loosely translates as insanely sugarhigh Anij. But whatever. This chapter, well, right now at least, is being written about fifteen, no twenty minutes after the post of the previous chapter. Time elapsed since I last posted is not a reason to whine, though, as I've been working pretty hard around the clock since I love readers, Gene Roddenbury, Jadzia Dax, Ben Sisko, Jean-Luc Picard, Jonathan Archer, T'Pol, Deanna Troi, and all the other people! (blame the sugarhigh)

Also, for all people going like this: WDF? What's the command chain on this bloody ship!

Here you go, from highest ranking to lowest:

1. Commander (Equivalent to Federation Captain)

2. Sub-Commander (Fed. Commander)

3. Lieutenant Commander (same thing)

4. Lieutenant (same thing)

5. Junior Lieutenant (Fed. Ensign)

6.Centurion (Crewman, also known as Lower-Than-Dirt)

lol. So there ya have it.

**Commence operations in the warp core after reading!**

* * *

**ENCOUNTER AT VIRGO III**

Chalmed deBoer was bored out of her skull. Engineering had nothing going on in it, she had given her people a break because the warp cores were stable and the field was in-tune, weapons were charged and operational, and shields were at full. Going back to the point, she was bored. One of her subordinates in engineering walked back in, clearly also bored... He was Junior Lieutenant Ghret, a Cardassian she commanded. He had always annoyed her, though. She was Bajoran, he was Cardassian. Ever since Bajor's occupation, she had vowed to hate all Cardassians, like almost all other of her species.

"What do you want, Ghret?" she asked, fingering her nose ridges in frustration.

"Nothing at all, actually. I simply became bored and decided to drop in on Engineering since technically, I _am_ on duty, Lieutenant," he said in a way-too-pleasant tone of voice. But then again, that was just Ghret for you, deBoer mused.

"Well you can become _un_-bored and find something to do around here," she stated matter-of-factly and a bit curtly, "since it's an empty engine room. I'm almost sure you can find something to--"

"Infirmary to deBoer," her combadge called to her before the end of her sentence did.

"deBoer here. What is it?"

"Doctor Kent wants to see you, if at all possible—you know, for your pregnancy check-up. Whenever you finish this shift."

"Actually, I'm not all that busy...if I could run by now that would be great," she answered honestly.

"See you in a few minutes then, Lieutenant Chalmed. Imfirmary out."

Groaning inwardly, she turned to Ghret again.

"Get the engineering crew back here, Lieutenant, please. I don't have time to argue about if that's proper etiquitte on Cardassia or not, just do it," she said. With that, she brusquely turned and left him standing there open-mouthed, staring at the back of the most typical reaction he would ever get from a Bajoran.

* * *

The sleek starship dropped out of orbit, allowing the light of the stars to bathe the hull in their glory as it swooped down into the orbit of Virgo III, nothing more than a bare planet with a few underground cities. As the Azrael swooped down into a low orbit to avoid detection, another starship dropped out of warp nearby, coming for the same reason. The Maquis. A plague to the Federation, a huge help to the Azrael and her crew. 

The Federation starship moved into a high orbit, feeling the safety of being in Federation territory. Its numbered designation was NCC-1701-D. The USS Enterprise, commanded by Jean-Luc Picard.

* * *

**"**Status report?" the commander asked in an impatient tone. 

"All systems operational, battle-ready. We have arrived at Virgo III," reported a young lieutenant.

"Excellent. Assemble an away team to meet with the Maquis for supplies. We have a treaty with them, so--" she was rudely cut off. Chalmed, standing in the back, sympathized with her for the moment.

"Sir, Federation vessel bearing designation NCC-1701 has entered orbit of Virgo III. Galaxy class vessel, commanded by--"

"Jean-Luc Picard. I know. It's the _Enterprise_." With that comment, a few gasps were elicited from the crew, as well as a storm of talking.

"Quiet!" she shouted, and when the talking just increased in decibels, she unholstered her phaser and fired at a random Lieutenant. When he fell with a Force Three stun, the bridge became very quiet. "Perhaps I should do that more often," she muttered, "It makes you hooligans quiet down..." Shaking her head, she continued, "try and avoid detection. We need to pick up a new crewmember here, he's our new transporter chief, what with Chief Kylian's death. He's a Terran, Cairteal Keanu. Apparently he's pretty good with finding shield envelopes to beam through as well... could come in handy later. Do I have an away team yet?" she demanded.

"Y-yes s-sir," muttered the newly-revived lieutenant. "Lieutenant Chalmed deBoer as lead, Centurions K'lara and Nadial Trite. Lieutenant Nadie Fal as lead security officer."

"Tell them to get down there, grab our Sub-Commander Keanu, and perhaps run away with a few more hopefuls. Now get the message out, go!" she cried in exasperation, contemplating shooting the poor officer again.

"They're on their way right now. Lieutenant deBoer..." he trailed off, not wanting to get shot for not getting everyone to the transporter room.

"I'm going, Junior. Promise," she grinned, walking off into the turbolift.

* * *

Hope was finally aboard again, and breathed a sigh of relief. She could go back to her post, and stop having to make life-or-death decisions for more than just herself. There was more to helping herself in life though, and it was a bit obvious to her. 

"Jayvin to Hope."

"Hope here," she responded automatically to her combadge.

"Could you come to the senior staff lounge...please?"

Worried, she took a moment to respond. How had this gotten this bad? There wasn't any way it could have been...

"Yes. I'm on my way now."

Practically running out of the transporter room, she got to Jayvin as quickly as she could.

* * *

"Captain," Data remarked, "there appears to be a vessel with the same intent as our own in orbit." 

"Who are they?" Picard asked, a bit curious, a bit worried.

"Unknown, sir. Configuration is unknown, though I beleive that Commander LaForge may recognize it better. If I am not mistaken, it is the Braveheart, one of the many projects from the Delta Arm fleetyard. It was stolen two years, three months, four hours--"

"Mr. Data, thank you, that is quite enough. The vessel was comandeered by...?" he asked, assured that Data would know.

"Unknown, sir, as the tale appears to go, the security systems and much else was knocked out due to internal influence," he completed cleanly.

"Raise shields and hail them. We can find out for ourselves. Mr. Crusher, if you could," he indicated that Wes was to raise the other ship, the so-called 'Braveheart'. At the same time, he wondered if they were hostile or friendly.

* * *

"We're being hailed," reported a random officer at the comm station. 

"The _Enterprise_..." she murmured. "By whom?" she demanded.

"The _Enterprise_, sir."

"Answer it. Be ready to fire phasers and raise shields."

A moment later, the starscape was replaced with the face of Jean-Luc Picard.

"This is Captain Picard of the Enterprise. You have been found in violation of Federation space with an unknown identification," the older man demanded, but without glancing over to Enaren, she felt his voice in her mind.

_The Enterprise has a Betazoid at their disposal. Careful of her—Deanna Troi can be very formidable. Don't let your emotions—or me—show clearly to her. He's not demanding so much as...questioning. He's curious as to who stole the ship from the Delta Arm. You can use this as a diversion...Ask him for a meeting. On his ship. It shows trust._

"Captain Picard, this is Commander Jayvin Belar of the _Azrael_ here. We're both here for the same thing, we both already know this.." she drawled quietly, absently playing with her hair. "If you'd like to work out a temporary deal of some sort, I'll meet with you, even on your ship if you wish."

_Way to go, Commander. Believe it or not, he's rather surprised, though he shouldn't be... he's thinking about accepting._

"That sounds reasonable, how about one aide each? Dinner is always an excellent time for talk and diplomacy."

"Always agreed," she said in a friendly and outgoing manner. "Dinner it is then. What time is your ship on?" she asked, referring to the ship's clock.

"Almost dinner, actually. Our transporter room will be standing by. Enterprise out."

The viewscreen winked out.

"Tapel, I want you to come with me. We can distract them long enough for our transporter chief, can't we?"

"Indeed we can, Commander. Let's go," he said.

"Hope, you have the bridge." Stepping into the turbolift, she suddenly began to fall into one of her states.

_I can control it, I can control it, I _have_ to control this..._ she willed herself. Failing dismally, she ran to the nearest secure room, leaving a confused first officer behind for his own good.

* * *

"Belar to Hope..." she muttered, beginning to fight Tapis from unleashing herself. 

"Hope here, what is it, Commander?"

"I need you...now..."

"I'm on my way, where are you?"

"Ask...the computer...Belar out."

She threw off her combadge in a rage, frustrated. Why did this always happen when she couldn't afford it? _Why_? She swept her hand around in exasperation, destroying an Andorian vase and starting to lose her personal battle.

"Tapis..." she groaned in anger, hating her other side.

The last thing she remembered was the crash, she didn't even see Hope run in as Tapis took control.

* * *

Hope flew into the room in a hurry, realizing at the last second that these were Jayvin's quarters. What she did realize was that Enaren was behind her. Another second--too late, of course. 

"What...Commander?" Enaren was stunned and even scared at what he saw. From the shattered vase, there was blood running down her left hand, and an evil glint in her eye.

Shoving him aside, Hope stepped between him and an inscenced Tapis-Jayvin.

"Enaren...leave before you see any more...or get hurt..." she whispered.

"Get hurt? That's insane..." trailing off, he didn't realize why she would hurt him...then he felt it. That billowing rage, the angry fury. This wasn't, couldn't be, and shouldn't be his commander... He moved just in time as his leader charged him, trying to do nothing but cause him bodily harm. Under other circumstances, he could have brushed it off, thought that she needed a punching bag, but this...this was different. He watched from the sidelines as Hope grabbed the girl and only succeeded in being thrown across the room. "She's strong..." he whispered to himself, trying to send calmness to her shattered mind and dismally failing.

"Hope! Are you all right?" Instead of responding, she tried to tell him to move, once again too late. Tapis, in Jayvin's body, came flying at him, trying to get to his throat to stop his breathing. There was no way...he was stronger than she. He _knew_ this, but was defied as he too was tossed as a rag doll might be.

Suddenly Hope jumped up and grabbed Jayvin, throwing her to the floor without a care. Nevermind that on any other ship, she would be court-martialed for this. Hope used her own strength this time to hold the teenager down, straddling her waist as she did so. Moving herself in such a manner as to cause at least a few lustful feelings, Hope ran a hand across Jay's smooth skin on her neck, then moved slightly downward.

"Hope!" Enaren barked, angered and confused. First they were fighting, now they were making out...? He felt like he had been decieved and thrust into a lover's quarrel.

Pulling up to breathe, she explained hurredly.

"Jayvin's MPD. This isn't Jayvin...not really...this is Tapis...and this is the only way to calm her. Go to Picard...take someone else with you. Now go. You really don't want to see this, Enaren..." she breathlessly explained, coming down to satiate Tapis in exchange for Jayvin's soul.

* * *

Good enough for a day, two chapters. Anyway, I'll finish the climax here when I get home and start on my third for the day. I posted the last chapter...ummm...three hours ago. Hmm. Well, two hours plus a Wendy's Frosty and an insane sibling (younger brother, will be referred to as Pika-chan). 

Hah.

And Open Office didn't crash at all. It's a miracle. Thank the plot bunnies and the power of the nearest deity. Hehehehehe...

Talk to you later, in the form of story.

-Anij Jinn


	4. Captain's Table

DISCLAIMER: Star Trek is not mine, the people I own in this particular version are, however, and should you attempt to sue me I shall spork your eyes out. For I gain no profit from this small venture into freelance writing.

**Read and review, by the captain's orders.**

* * *

**CAPTAIN'S TABLE**

"Report. Have our guests beamed over yet?" Picard asked. It had already taken them about fifteen minutes since their conversation.

"No, sir. We are recieving a transmission from the Azrael."

"Open a channel," Picard ordered.

A young man with very striking violet-blue eyes was visible, as opposed to Commander Belar.

"This is Sub-Commander Tapel of the Azrael, I feel we owe you an apology for our tardiness."

"No apologies necessary, Sub-Commander, were ready for you at any time," Picard, the eternally graceful host, replied.

"Ah. Commander Belar will not be joining us tonight, as she has fallen..." he looked aside for one point, "...ill. She will be able to meet with you tomorrow. Not sleeping enough, collapsing from lack of that, you know," the young man's pale and somehow cat-like visage softened at that remark. "I'll be over in a few moments; I have no need of an aide. Azrael out."

The young sub-commander signed off with a quick smile.

"He seems to have good intentions, sir," Troi offered helpfully.

"All the same, I don't trust him. There's something about him," he admitted. "He seems kind, but one must learn to trust their instincts as well as their advisors, Counselor. Come along, we hjave a meeting to attend," he offered, rising to his feet as Deanna Troi did the same.

"Number One, you have the bridge," he acknowledged, and Riker took the command chair as the turbolift doors closed.

* * *

"Sub-Commander Tapel, it's an honour to meet you," Picard greeted him with a handshake and a warm attitude.

"No, the honour is all mine," the hybrid remarked in reply. "Commander Troi, an honour to meet you as well. May it not be in battle the next time," he finished.

_How interesting._ 'In battle'? Quite a point he made, Deanna thought. Trying to read this enigma of a man, she found he was blocking her. As she tried and pushed a bit harder, he glanced over in his direction, his eyes becoming a bit more slitted and less open. _He's sensitive to my probes. A telepath as well, perhaps._

"Captain, I need to talk to you," she said quietly.

"Just a moment, Mr. Tapel," Picard said, almost apologetically.

Lowering her voice, having no idea that the sub-commander would hear anything they said anyway, "He's a telepath. Guard yourself."

Picard was about to respond when, from across the room,

"You know, it's quite obvious to me what you're saying... Yes, I am a telepath. And I doubt that you would be able to guard yourself from me. Doubtless, you're trying. But you, Commander Troi, seem a bit apprehensive, worried, and at the same time laid-back becuase you're thinking I'll follow the unspoken rule of privacy that most Betazoids follow...not breaking into others' minds. You, Captain, are wonder what I am to be able to look like a bit of a Caitian – good guess – read minds, and still keep myself in a high position. All in good time, sir... all in good time. But I don't believe that's why we're here?" With that, he ushered Picard and Troi out before him with a slight flourish.

Sighing, he thought, _and thus the day's work begins..._

* * *

Hope absently wondered where the day would lead. Tapis-Jayvin was sleeping, almost a young child now. Completely innocent, totally helpless. The lean Orion moved cautiously from underneath the covers, thankfully still fully clothed. Shaking her head, she realized that if this kept up, one day they would be bound together for their entire lives. Tapis had an insatitable appetite for affection, but if you wanted to put it in terms of Jayvin's consent, one might as well call it rape, or at least a violation. There were medications to control her, but Jayvin refused to allow her secret to be told. If it was, she would be under constant suspicion.

Picking up her friend's Klingon dagger, she gently grasped it, feeling the grip on the handle. Lifting it above Jayvin's slender neck, she wondered absently who might miss her. She was just a child of circumstance. But at the same time, she loved her. As a friend, nothing more, nothing less. She would never want to kill her; she was the most trusted member of the crew. Nobody would think badly of her. Or dare to. So why would they?

Placing the dagger back down, she was gripped by a paralyzing shudder of not fear, but control.

_Don't you dare touch her, Hope..._.

Enaren's voice resounded in her head, angered, yes, concerned, no. He knew better than most what she went through for her commander.

* * *

"Sub-Commander, if you could sit, please," Picard said, offering a seat across the table.

"Thank you, Captain, but I rather prefer..." he stopped, feeling Hope's psyche suddenly whip into darkness and chaos across space. He quickly adapted and flashed a scene from her mind to his. Hope..._Don't you dare touch her, Hope. _

Immediately he snapped back to reality.

"Sub-commander?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just keeping a few..._unruly_...people on the Azrael in line. I often command the ship during away missions, so that the Commander can get some rest." When Picard looked amazed, he continued, "but that's not why we're here. We've come to negotiate the safe transport of a man from the surface of Virgo III to our ship. We could care less about the Maquis. You can take them, if you really want. We just want one man, and we're on our way," he remarked pleasantly. "And if Commander Troi would care to look into my intentions, I'm completely sincere."

Troi verified that incredibly quickly.

"A question, Sub-Commander, please?" she asked, quite curious. "What is your lineage, to allow you this ability to read minds?"

Sighing, Enaren began a quick rundown.

"I'm mostly Betazoid, or so I think. I have a twenty-thousand percent increase in telepathic cortex power due to genetic modification. In other words, I can take down or heal people from inside their minds. I neer forget the pattern of a mind once I've entered it once. For instance, Commander, if you will allow?"

Nodding carefully, she agreed.

"See, for instance, you have a slight headache now. Correct?" At Troi's nod, he entered her mind again, breaking through the barrier. "And now it's gone. You see? I can use this power to either heal or kill. As for your Captain's assumption that I was part Caitian, he is correct on that count as well. I'm roughly fourteen fiftieths Caitian, hence my eyes. Yes, Captain, very good. As for my other lineage? It would take too long... Look at the Section 12 experiment coding 112.943."

"Back to our discussion beforehand, if you don't mind, Sub-Commander," Picard said, efficient as always, "Negotiating?"

"One moment, Captain," Enaren said as his combadge beeped once, then twice. He understood, and nodded slowluy, understanding what it meant and being overcome by sadness.

The code had been created at the start of the Azrael's reign.

One beep, beam back.

Two, beam back for destruction.

Three, you're on your own and can't come back.

But there it was. It was done, and they had their man.

Swallowing hard, he commanded a captain's attitude.

"What I'm going to tell you now will save your lives, listen to me now."

Surprised at the exchange and change of mood in the conversation, Picard nodded a bit nervously.

"As soon as I beam back, raise shields. Jayvin only wished to **distract** you. She has always told me I'm too compassionate, but to kill a thousand people in cold blood... it's wrong. I'm saving your lives; don't make me regret it because next time...next time I won't be so kind." With an icy stare he tapped his combadge. "Tapel to Azrael. Beam me out."

* * *

"Shields up, now!" Picard yelled into his combadge. On the run, he made it into the bridge from his ready room just in time for the first impact of phasers.

"What's going on, sir?" Riker asked, quite angry at the negotiator.

"The sub-commander of that ship just saved our lives. Don't look so angry, Number One," he said in a somewhat orderly fashion. "Back away from this sector, warp seven. Engage."

Under full fire, the Enterprise veered away from Virgo III, ready to return at another time.

Somewhere near Virgo III, Jayvin Belar, commanding the Azrael, whispered to the viewscreen,

"We'll meet again, Picard... We'll meet again."

* * *

Sorry for the break in updates, I've been having relatively annoying computer issues.

Anyway, please keep reading and reviewing. It's very appreciated.

More coming soon, and we'll introduce the Borg!

There are a sh-tload of a lot of TNG parallels coming up, as well as a few Voyager ones. Please don't get too mad..it's not plagarism, it's reworking.

Heh.

-Anij Jinn

(-) 


	5. Daggers and Smiles

DISCLAIMER: Try me...if you sue me you will be shot with paintballs and phasers. Just kidding.

Sorry these have been so short, but I have literally NO reader input! Thanks again to **Amorcia** for helping me out here, but please... if you read, you review. Easily done. Please...we'll give you cookies...

Every twentieth reviewer will get their name as a character in Azrael...read and review!

**Warp nine into the next chapter!**

* * *

"**...MEN HERE HAVE DAGGERS IN THEIR SMILES."**

_-_from _Macbeth_

"You saved them."

Enaren stood before his commander, and felt a shiver go down his spine. He didn't acknowledge that he had, or that he hadn't. He simply stood against Jayvin's rage.

"You warned them. You kept them alive. We could have eliminated a powerful enemy. But you saved them," Jayvin said. Her voice quivered with barely supressed fury. She was right in his face, angry beyond belief. And then, just as quickly as it had started, she stopped. Thought about it. And immediately began to calm down.

"Sub-Commander, you realize we will never have another opportunity for this, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Nothing, sir," he replied, nervous now.

"It makes me wonder...can I really trust you..." she trailed off, no doubt thinking over the events that had already transpired. When he didn't respond, she ordered him away, sending a message to him over a private text line.

Sighing sadly, he left for his quarters.

* * *

_Ordered to my quarters._

That was all he could think. He was the first officer, but now was confined to his quarters. Not that it was too hard to live here. He had a replicator, a bed, and everything else he would need. But...there was something that was troubling him. Why were the main officers treated so well? They didn't get shot. They weren't ever threatened by the commander. Jayvin thrived on the terror in her 'reign', if you could call it that. Why did he still follow her?

_Because she's the voice of reason in this universe._

That was a scary thought. If Jayvin Belar was the voice of reason, then why would anyone bother living? Here, the rules were simple. Shoot, don't be shot. Follow the commander everywhere she wants you to. Listen to her and you live.

Why, then, did nobody else listen?

_Maybe she's wrong. Maybe she miscalculated. Or maybe _we're_ the ones that are wrong...we're the ones following her._

All in all, a terrifying conclusion, Enaren decided as he retreated into sleep, a phaser set at stun in his palm.

* * *

"People!" Jayvin briefly shouted to the darkened room. The bridge crew stiffened and quieted almost visibly. "Anyone bothered to scan the area?" When no one responded in affirmation of her query, she sighed loudly, stalking over to her command chair. "Lieutenant, please do so," she remarked, supressed anger in her voice.

"C-Commander...one ship in the area," a young lieutenant (who was, ironically, older than Jayvin anyway) stammered. "Designation NX-20341...Defiant class. Downloading specs."

"Good..." she muttered, unholstering a disruptor and reholstering it absently, thumbing the trigger to 'vaporize', and back. "It seems to be abandoned. Lieutenant?"

The same young man at this point looked up.

"Commander, the vessel is indeed abandoned, but for one life-form. There seems to be no reason for the abandonment, though. Air containment has not been lost, and it appears power has simply been...shut off. Escape pods have been ejected, though."

"All right then, we're going exploring," she remarked casually. "And this time, I'll go."

Tapping her combadge, she ordered her away team. "Away team please report to Transporter room six, I want four security guards, Lieutenant Hope, Sub-Commander Tapel, and I'm leaving control to Sub-Commander Lak'tran. Belar out," she finished with a deep breath. Heading out to the armoury, she went off to get weapons for her away team. She had a feeling that they might need them.

* * *

The away team waited impatiently for their commander in the transporter room, with the new transporter chief attempting to find out what he could about the Commander and the bridge crew in general.

"Sub-Commander Keanu, I realize this may not be my place, but the entire bridge crew, regardless of rank, holds more influence and authority than you. Kindly stop prying," Hope said, wording it carefully.

"Of course, Lieutenant. I was just attempting to find out who I'm working for," Cairteal Keanu said, equally careful with his words. "I can always set up a meeting with Commander Belar, I suppose."

"I would suppose you'd have to," Enaren's voice drifted across the room, coming out more as a drawl than anything else. His tall, muscular stature made for quite the intimidating person. And intimidate he did. Keanu visibly stiffened at that tone.

"Yes sir," he said, just in time for Jayvin to come in. Behind her came two or three yeomen bearing the weapons. Most were disruptors, one for each crewmember on the away team, but there was also an assortment of different weapons for random purposes. The tharalon radiation weapon was one of them; it was handed to Hope immediately. A bat'leth was handed to Sub-Commander Tapel, who strapped it to his back immediately.

A moment later, they were ready to go. Until a girl entered. Just a child, she had never been seen by most of the bridge crew before.

"Conammder!" called the girl, mixing up the letters. "You forgot Miral!"

"Oh! Thanks...what was your name again?" she asked, taking her sword from the child and looking confused. She knew the child was one of the security guards', and had come to say good-bye.

"Anni," murmured one of the female guards. She bent down and hugged the girl. "Now go back to your room, ok? Stay there or go to the bridge if you get scared. Lak'tran will take care of you, like she usually does. I have to go for now but I'll be back later...I promise." Nodding to the big-eyed child, she moved away, shooing her off. The little girl scrambled out the door, eliciting smiles from almost everyone, even Enaren. It was already seeming like an easy mission. Beam over, get technology and come back. All in a day's work, right?

* * *

Beaming over, they came to a place where everything was in working order. Nothing had been destroyed, with the exception of a panel for engineering. And another. Moving into the main engine room, everything had been destroyed. Only engineering had been destroyed though, further inspection found. Only things related to transportation. Unsheathing her sword, Jayvin began to pace, calling all of her people to her.

"Something's not right here.." she murmured, now almost afraid to raise her voice. "I keep getting the feeling that I've been here before... yet I haven't. We need to go..."

"Sickbay," Enaren finished for her, equally ill-at-ease. He looked like a cat more than anything, his slitted eyes glowing a bit in the relative darkness. "That's where we all need to be... that's where what we're feeling lies," he said, an obvious under-purr in his voice. With cat-like agility he sprung to a panel and opened it, leading the away team in on all fours.

A few minutes later, they had arrived. The one lifesign was standing guard, but at the sight of them, advanced immediately. The other life-forms were found on stasis beds, gruesome implants and mechanical parts protruding and reinforcing weak flesh. At a signal, they all awoke. And then they were trapped. The away team had been surrounded.

Surrounded and captured by Borg.

* * *

Meep!

Yes, okay, so I didn't update that much. But isn't it always worth the wait? No, just kidding. I'm getting there...and I think I'm high on cold medicine...I hate Spring...and flowers, at least for now... I HATE BENADRYL!

Good lord...I need help. Why don't you review? That always helps...

And Yavie's out of town without Internet access, send the Force, or whatever, to her.

-Anij Jinn


	6. The Mindset of a Queen

DISCLAIMER: Don't own, don't sue. Fair enough?

Again, thank you **Amorcia**. I know for a fact that a certain **Del'Cera Osirin** has been reading...care to review, Daikage-chan? Honestly...(shakes head at Del'Cera)...you sit right next to me in Geo and can give me input THEN...but only once now...you're a capital J genius, man. To all other readers, it's an inside joke. Please forgive it.

Anyway, this wasn't an actually planned chapter, as I'm kinda writing it as I'm coming back home from South Carolina. Alas, a car does not make for a good writing environment. Sorry people!

At the same time: Urgh...this was a VERY hard chapter. It's an uneasy and tenative chap., with the little snippets of the Queen coming in and whatnot. It was hard..I hope I got the right mood.

**Prepare to engage the Borg.**

* * *

**THE MINDSET OF A QUEEN**

The Borg were already advancing and seemed to leave no option for escape. Jayvin glanced around her, already preparing for her battle. Here was where everything mattered. Around an uncaring enemy, one that would sacrifice itself for naught if the need arose, caution was a different matter. It became something based on not instinct but more the tide of battle.

"It counts here, people," Jayvin said, already beginning to fire into the small crowd of Borg. A beep from her combadge reminded her of the one thing that she **could** do. "Away team to Azrael, get us out of here now!"

"Affirmative, Commander. Initiating now."

As the Borg shimmered around them, no one realized that perhaps someone more important than a few drones had been watching.

* * *

_They escaped. _

The resounding voice was definately female, and filled the room with the silence of artificial telepathy.

The source of the voice came from a glorious being. Half-machine, half-human, the Borg Queen understood regret, frustration, and still the promise of a challenge. Once Locutus had been part of her collective. Now she saw the dynamic young leader that had escaped without so much a single casualty. Then again, she had not fought yet.

Yet, she reminded herself. She could wait a little longer, but it had always been the reponsibility and duty of the Borg Queens to bring about one as a consort. The male had seemed curious to her, the one with the purple cat eyes. He would make an excellent consort. It would become his responsibility to see to the Speaker's duties, as it had always been. The duties of a Speaker were to straddle both worlds. And since no Queen was the same, nor could any Speaker be.

The time would come later.

* * *

"We need to return," Jayvin remarked quietly. 

"Perhaps. But next time, we need to bring adequate weapons. There is only one way to approach this, and that would be caution," Hope answered.

"Whatever our motivation for going back, the safety for the ship comes first," the young commander said quietly.

"There was a Queen nearby," Tapel said. He was enchanted by the idea, apparently.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as of now this discussion is classified. No further discussion outside of this room, do you understand?" after recieving nods of assent throughout the room, she continued. "Those Borg we saw there, do you honestly think they didn't shoot for a reason? Or that they didn't react? Just because we saw Borg—wow. Alright, so we saw the bloody Borg. There's a reason they didn't raise shields. Or attack. It was rather anti-climatic compared to other battles we've all heard of. What, then, is to stop us from assuming that the Queen had a bad day?"

Hope was the only one that answered. "The fact that they were waiting for us."

On that ominous note, Belar dismissed them.

* * *

She had already ordered her sphere-like ship to the area of the Azrael. 

Now, to just sit back and wait for them to fall into her trap.

Her drones had already been sacrificed. There was the first part. The commander was foolish enough...and not smart enough.

**It wouldn't be long.**

* * *

"Commander! Borg sphere dropping out of transwarp!" Sub-Commander Lak'tran shouted over the comlink. 

"Damn!" came Belar's voice. "I'm tired of this game...time to turn...and **fight**."

"Shall we engage?"

"You're in charge of the bloody ship, Lak'tran. I'm trusting that your Romulan skills will give me something to beam back to. Away team out," Jayvin said, frustrated already.

"Attention all crewmembers! Prepare for battle stations, red alert. This is a red alert, prepare to engage the enemy. Don't let them touch you should they beam aboard, shoot to kill without hesitation. Out."

With that, the tall Romulan seated herself in the command chair, beginning to call the shots for her side.

* * *

It was one of the hardest firefights he had ever been in. Borg this way, Borg that way. Finally, they had found a safe haven aboard the small ship. 

"All of you, we **will** make it out of here. Understand? We will. I'm trusting all of you to guard my back, and I'll do the same. Enaren, I want you and Hope to flank me. Let's go."

Leading the way out, they found themselves face to face with a legion of Borg titans. Firing wildly, Jayvin drew her katana-like sword, Miral, and sliced through the ranks of them, avoiding the chemicals that came from them as they were brutally ripped apart. Hope suddenly darted forward.

"Scuttlers!" Jayvin called, a sweaty lock of hair falling in her face.

Hope ripped through most of them, but wore out quickly. There was no rest here. All of them knew that. There was life, there was death, but no sleep.

More and more attempted to get past the Orion, but there was no passing her. Finally, she was no longer able to fight.

"Jay..." she cried, diverting the teenager's attention to her friend. Hope lay upon the ground, Borg scuttlers crawling upon her body. "You can't be taken...Just remember me...please..."

The look in her friend's eyes was unforgettable. Jayvin was as close to tears as anyone had ever seen her. Hope was asking for her to do the unimaginable. But it wasn't a request. No, it was a demand.

Hope's back arched in pain as the skuttlers began to drill through her skullcap.

"Uhn...Jay, hurry.." The plea was followed by a scream.

"I—I love you, Hope...Forgive me for doing what you wanted me to..."

Neither woman covered their eyes as Jayvin flicked her weapon from 'kill' to 'vaporize' and aimed straight at the lieutenant. A grim smile decorated Hope's face as the trigger was pressed.

The last thing the young Orion ever saw was a flash of green light.

* * *

"We've got to keep going," Jayvin demanded, tearing her eyes away from the blck scorch mark left by her own weapon. Her sadness was replaced by utter rage at these cybernetic monsters that had taken away her friend. Not just a friend, a lover of a sort. 

She began to play the beserker of the group, but at the same time she allowed herself a watchful eye. No more deaths on her team. Already, four people had been lost to the Borg. One was Hope. Four were security guards brought along.

And now, they stood before the last Borg titans. Behind them lay the newly created hallway which led to the sphere.

"The queen's inside, everyone. Prepare to engage her," she cried out. Stepping into the tunnel-like hallway, the away team entered the sphere of the queen.

* * *

_You've finally come._

She was eager to face them. There were only five now, hardly enough to hope to destroy the order she had created.

_And I'll keep one of you as mine._

They were in the antechamber. Smiling sweetly to herself, she ordered most of her drones to stand down.

She knew what she was about to do.

Something the Borg never tried.

Aggressive negotiations.

* * *

Entering the chamber of the queen, Jayvin was more than a little amazed at the lack of activity. No Borg had entered this place. Enaren was struck with the word 'sanctuary' as he entered. The room was dark, but not like the usual Borg sturcture... it was inefficient. This was an odd queen indeed. 

And there, before them, stood the queen in her mechanical body.

Belar motioned for her group to raise their weapons, and the plan was nearly executed. She almost killed the queen.

"You may not want to do that," the slightly seductive voice of the queen came.

"And why?"

"Look around you." Arrogant, the Borg superbeing turned her back to the away team. "You try to destroy the collective, they turn on you. We are Borg. And resistance is futile." Walking back over, she brushed a mechanical finger along Torias' jawline. "And of course, being the people you are, you want to escape."

Jayvin nodded, more than a little confused.

"There are two ways out of here, and only one will allow you to escape..."

* * *

Well that's it for now. Thanks for all your reviews, Amorcia and Del'Cera, it's more than appreciated. 

Keep reading and I'll keep writing!

-Anij Jinn


	7. The Death of Hope

DISCLAIMER: ...it's not mine.

I'm updating...(waves hand) just for you, Daikage-KUN. No, just kidding. I have so few readers anyway, I'm starting to wonder who I'm writing this for anyway... I guess I just have to get my story out. I'm not going to die with my song still inside of me, so to speak. Not that I plan on dying any time soon... but let's just say it's scary how much this story's symbolism correlates with my life... those who know me best have already seen it. All in all, this chapter is dedicated entirely to _Del'Cera Osirin_. He's Daikage-kun.

You're my life, Daikage. Thank you so much for helping me out.

Anyway, I'm not here to depress you. Let's move on. Though I'm warning you...this is a depressing chapter...

Oh. And as for the French words, 'bonne chance', they mean 'good luck'. Heh. Enjoy.

**Recieving Prority One message from Commander Jayvin Belar. Read and respond for further info.**

* * *

**THE DEATH OF HOPE**

"Those terms are not acceptable."

"Do you think you have a choice?" The Borg Queen smiled, almost like a mother looking down on a child... but with contempt, not love.

"Why do you want one of us? You could have your drones assimilate all of us just as easily..." she was edging towards the reasoning of the Queen, at last.

_You don't know what you're doing, Jayvin. Be careful. Let me guide you, please._

_No. I'm the commander, and unless you want us to sacrifice _you_, stop pestering me._

Immediately, Enaren broke the link.

"I'm lonely," the Borg Queen drawled softly.

"You, commander of millions, perhaps billions of drones, are lonely," Jayvin demanded, glad that the Queen had spared them that long.

"Yes, _commander,_" she sneered, "And now, you will choose. Who stays with me? Perhaps the telepath," she said, again brushing a hand to Torias' cheek as he shuddered inwardly. "Or maybe you, Belar. You are not just sacrificing the crew you see here by refusing me one of you...your ship will be mine as well."

* * *

"I want Mommy!" wailed Anni.

"Shh...shh..." murmured Lak'tran. Taking care of the security guard's child wasn't always fun. At least she didn't have children of her own, she mused.

"Commander," one of her subordinates called. Turning her head sharply, she moved the the statistics and communications board. "We've recieved the beam-out signal. In five minutes exactly we are to beam back the away team."

"Good. Do your job, Lieutenant. I have the feeling that they're in trouble," she said, looking down at the child clinging to her leg and wondering if she would soon have a child to care for.

* * *

Running down the hallways of the labrynthine sphere, Jayvin took the rear of the posession. Some of her security guards were already tiring out, not used to much actual combat. The female security guard took a place next to Belar and began to speak hurredly, taking breaths between groups of words.

"If we can't--get out--then the sacrifice--can be me. It's my duty--to defend the ship--and my CO," the Lieutenant Commander panted.

"No, Lieutenant. That's not going to happen—what about your child—on the Azrael?" Jayvin asked, not turning her head from the hallways. "Left," she yelled as they came to an intersection.

"Anni can—take it—she's already lost—her father—my husband. She—comes from a—family used to—strife," the young woman finished.

"No, Lieutenant Marea. I will not allow it," Belar finished.

"Commander--" she protested.

"No," she replied firmly. And that was it, while an army of Borg approached them from all sides.

And onboard the Azrael, the little Anni began to cry.

* * *

"I warned you, did I not?" the Queen spoke to the Commander mostly, but also to instill fear into her small audience. "Escape leads to one thing, assimilation. You're now mine," she finished, a little smile on her grey-skinned face.

"No," Jayvin said, stepping to the head of the team at last. "You asked for a sacrifice to let us escape, keep your end of the promise."

The Queen raised an eyebrow, amused with the logic of the Trill-Vulcan girl.

"Take me," the teenager finished. "Torias, take care of my baby...the Azrael."

Walking to the Queen, another member of the away team stepped forward—Lieutenant Commander Marea.

Pointing her phaser first at her CO, she fired at almost point-blank range at the Borg monstrosity instead, destroying the unprepared queen from the inside out.

A spurt of green, glowing liquid escaped. Splashing the Lieutenant Commander, it cut through her like she had never been there. The security guard's heart-wrenching scream of pain as the antimatter cut through her echoed, and many of the Borg remained still and confused as their Queen's conciousness faded.

"Get out of here!" Jayvin cired. "A new queen is probably already developing—GO!" she screamed at them, standing between the Borg and where her people had escaped, sword already drawn.

_Bonne chance, Enaren.._she absently thought as the first wave of Borg assaulted her from all sides.

* * *

_She had stood no chance._

The young Borg Queen laughed softly at the prone form of Jayvin Belar, laying on a biobed, held down by Borg technicians, already beginning the assimilation process.

With a mere wave of a black leather-covered hand, she dismissed them to savor the moment. She looked down at the teenager—no, not really a teenager, still a girl—and touched her limp hand.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" she asked, less out of caring than out of curiosity.

"You're a queen. You should know," Belar snapped, moving her head to the side, already hearing the whispers of the Collective in her captive mind.

"I can only hear you aloud at the moment. Your mind is only beginning to be heard. You should know that, as a drone," she smirked right back at the teen.

"I'm not a drone!" Jayvin yelled, already struggling to rip off the slender black faceplace covering half her face. The Queen stood back, taking in the spectacle of a nearly-completed drone trying to deny what it was.

"If you remove your optical faceplate, you will find yourself dead in less than five minutes, and not by my hand," she remarked.

"Why did you want me, then?" the teen asked, now also curious of the other, pausing to glance at her new ruler, the future dictator of her actions.

"A Queen needs a consort," came the lofty answer.

"And you wanted me...a female?"

"To be different. As Queens, we each must be somewhat different, individuals within the whole. This was my own wish," she said, quietly, almost finding it hard to admit. Moving back to her normal, arrogant tone, she continued, "If you struggle against the assimilation process, you will be just another drone under my command. If you wish to keep any scrap of yourself, do not attempt to resist. You can be a ruler at my side, even. Anything you wish as Borg. The Borg."

"If you were human, you could be an amazing person, you know," Jayvin murmured softly, amazed at the level of comprehension and sheer genius behind this one person.

"I am Borg. I have more capabilities than you, girl," she snapped after a moment. "But...I would agree that in many ways we are the same. It will be interesting with you around," she said, dismissing her.

"Wait!" Jayvin cried as the Queen raised a hand, about to call back the technicians. "Please...I want to do this as myself, not your drone..." she trailed off, struggling to release herself, begging, pleading, even groveling. The curious Queen released only the girl's arms, ready to call back the drones at a second's notice.

Lifting a single hand up to the female Borg's neck, she brought her closer and kissed her lips slowly, knowing that she would be the only one to ever do that willingly.

Pausing for only an instant, the Queen returned it unquestioningly, knowing that this girl, this _drone_, would not resist assimilation.

It was just another challenge to overcome.

* * *

Enaren finally arrived back on the Azrael, minus two teammates, plus one body. Still cradling the limp and lifeless body of Lieutenant Commander Marea, he stepped of the transporter pad, stumbling right into Sub-Commander Cairteal Keanu.

"What—what the hell were you facing over there? Those are antimatter wounds! Where's the Commander? What happened over there?" he demanded, "We've got to get the Command—" he faltered, seeing the battle-weary expression on the hybrid's face, as well as the shocked expressions on the security guards.

"The Borg have the Commander, Keanu. Hope is dead. Marea died to destroy the Borg Queen. Jayvin stayed back to hold them off so we could escape. Tell—tell Lak'tran to keep the ship out of danger," he finished, slumping against a wall, nearly dropping the body of the Lieutenant Commander in the process. "Everyone here is dismissed until further notice," he completed, leaving a body for the other officers to take care of.

* * *

He saw her in his nightmares, the grey skin, the green eyes. Her haunting tone as she extended a gloved hand and grasped Jayvin's arm, pulling her away from safety and into chaos. The world exploded around his shattered mind, pulling him into a dreamless and troubled sleep.

* * *

Enjoy, I swear to the Enterprise I'll update soon, all I need is a beta-reader for the next chapter.

HAHAHAH! I KILLED HOPE!

(Get the stupid pun yet? Hope dies, Jayvin's taken, life goes wrong. All because Hope is lost. Literally. Hahaha... I'm stupid.)

Geometry test in two periods, gotta study. Sorry this isn't longer.

-Anij Jinn


	8. A Different Perspective

DISCLAIMER: Not mine! (But if you want to use the original characters of my creations, ask and ye shall receive lol)

Ah...how touching...this chapter almost made me cry while I was writing it. Awww...

Poor Jayvin.

Give up or give away? Be a consort or just a drone?

Heh... this chapter is dedicated to my wonderful teacher and good friend (I consider him that), Mr. Mark Dunn. I would love to thank him for being there for me during the hard times and inspiring me to take up writing again. I LOVE YOU, DUNN—SENSEI! (heehee...) He rocks.

**I'm not kidding. Fitieth reviewer gets their name in the fanfic here. And a nice, handwritten letter from me to YOU. I need your address and name though. Whatever...if you don't want to provide it, don't put it there, let the fifty-first get it then. Plus, you get a drawing of the Azrael. Free. Get your friends to review, too! Tell everyone who would read this about it!**

And onward. I did well on my Geometry test, btw. Thanks for asking (smiles).

**A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE**

She was dying.

There was nothing anyone could do anymore. No one could save her.

She heard music playing in her head. Music. And a glove brushing against her cheek. She could already hear the voice in her mind. Asking, requesting of her what she could not give.

_Don't resist...and you can have all the glory you want. You can control legions of drones...all yours. Anything you want from us. We—_you_ are the Borg. You can reign differently, even. Give in..._

_No_...she said. She knew that she could easily kill herself before assimilation. But that sad need, the one that would never allow going back...was there any other choice? She had already made the decision to be the Queen's, already decided that there was more to learn by living in a hive.

_I'm not strong enough. I never was._ With that realization, she gave in to the demands of the machines and kissed her old personality good-bye.

* * *

Jayvin Belar of the Azrael would never love.

She would never go to Risa or Bajor as a married woman.

She would never again recite Shakespeare, or write poetry.

She would most likely never exist as Jayvin Belar ever again.

And that was what hurt the most.

For if she was no longer Jayvin, she was an enemy.

And enemy that had to be captured...or killed.

* * *

"No...not Jay..." Enaren trailed off, his head in his hands. Tears fell slowly from his eyes as he witnessed Jayvin's assimilation first-hand. He watched her slowly stop struggling. Bow to the demands of the Borg Queen.

Saw her left arm get brutally cut off. Watched as she began to scream, and then, just as abruptly stopped. Became an observer to the inauguration of a new Borg commander—a Speaker in her own right, one to two worlds.

She was unreachable, female consort to the Borg Queen who, even now, had chosen Jayvin to spite Enaren. She knew he was watching. A young and ambitious queen, she had seen Enaren fire the final shot as she already had the Royal Protocol flooding her body. It was all in spite.

_How does it feel? To be the one to watch as your commander dies?_

Now he heard her, too. It was the exchange between the queen and the Borg he allowed his mind to dwell within.

_Now, we shall be the ones to watch as you die foolishly for trying to rescue her. Resistance is futile._

Responding in like kind, he used his telepathy. _You pretend you know us, yet you do not. Love is more powerful than purpose._

The Queen withdrew, leaving Enaren alone to watch the newly-made Borg rise to her Queen's call. He already knew her name. _Mirake of Borg. _Utter irony.

_Mirake. The name of the Azrael's self-destruct log._

Withdrawing from the drone he had been using, he fell into his own body with a jolt, crying again. She was gone...leaving him to mourn.

* * *

"She's gone." The deadened voice that had taken over Enaren's normal voice was frightening and depressing. He had given up already.

"No she's not, Tapel. Pull yourself together. We're already formulating a way to get her back."

"She's gone. _Jayvin's_ gone. The mind that keeps the flesh isn't her," he repeated. "Mirake of Borg. Jayvin of the Azrael. The queen's consort-- Mirake-- strength--" he cut himself off, sobbing like a child over the loss.

"Pull-yourself-together!" Lak'tran demanded, slapping him between words. "You want her back, **act** like you want her back. Don't let her sacrifice be in vain. There's a reason she saved your miserable life, you know," she stated matter-of-factly.

The door whooshed open.

"Commander Lak'tran! Sub-Commander Enaren! We have a way to--" deBoer paused, seeing the tears for the first time. "We have a way to get her back," she said, softly. "We can go tomorrow. So far, the queen's attempts at getting in our computer system have failed. Later than tomorrow...we'll have to abandon the attempt. There's already evidence that the cube will leave tomorrow or the next day," she said a bit nervously.

"Of course, that's just what she wants. We'll have to go today," the Romulan woman said wearily. "What's your plan?"

* * *

_Mirake, awaken. _The queen's voice resounded in her mind.

_Due to this type of assimilation, you have been permitted partial access to your personality outside of the Collective._

Now it was the drone's turn. As more Jayvin than Mirake, she asked her question. _My Queen, why me?_

_Because you are efficient and knowledgable. Resistance is futile. You are Mirake of Borg, Speaker to Trill and Vulcan, consort to the queen. Who are you?_

_We are Mirake of Borg. _Turning her pale face towards the queen, the drone's now-silvery blue eyes shone with adoration and admiration. Both of her eyes remained, but a black faceplate covered half of her face. Black, sleek body armour covered her arms, chest, and legs. From her neck down was flesh, with the armour starting at her upper chest. Slender and strong, it was the perfect combination to use against the coming storm.

* * *

"What are we going to do again?" Lak'tran asked, her Romulan lineage coming through as she stiffened in her seat.

"Beam in with these transponder nanoprobes in your bloodstream. Not only will they combat and destroy the Borg nanoprobes, but for a short time they will also act as a homing device on you. You have up to a half-hour," deBoer said from across the room. Sitting at the head of the table, Lak'tran was the farthest away from the Bajoran.

"So one can be assimilated but not part of the hivemind," Lak'tran confirmed.

"Yes, sir," the Bajoran said, now frowning.

"Sounds like a load of fun," Cairteal Keanu remarked sarcastically.

"It will be a good day to die," a recently-promoted Klingon male stated.

"Lieutenant Karogh, it may be, but the only reason any of us will die is to save Jayv—Mirake. Understood?" Lak'tran asked. When nods of assent were made throughout the room, she took a bit of her predecessor's personality and dismissed them on a hanging note. As soon as the room emptied out, she realized what she had missed.

Tapel Enaren had never been in the room at all.

* * *

He had already rejoined the Collective to watch Mirake. _No_, he told himself, shaking his head, _it's Jayvin. She's still alive in there. She has to be._

Deals with the devil...he knew he could get her back. He knew what he had to do. Was he strong enough?

_Am I strong enough, honestly? _He asked himself this over and over again, wondering that his offering would result in a losing situation.

Could he do what he needed to in order to save the single beam of light in the darkness? Betray the Azrael to obey his Commander?

His commander's words haunted him; betraying the ship wasn't saving the ship. Betraying the ship was as good as betraying Jayvin. How could _anyone_, let alone himself, follow through?

_But I have to. It's her only chance._

He was about to leave his quarters when a security team stormed him room, surrounding him with their disruptors drawn, Lak'tran at the head.

* * *

"Sub-Commander Tapel, you have been found guilty of treason. As a traitor, you will be treated as such until a tribunal jury decides on your future," the proud Romulan woman read from a padd. "Take him to the brig, cell six. Keep him in stasis until further notice. He is no longer in command of you, his rank has been temporarily revoked. Go," she ordered.

It had actually been the little child Anni who had discovered it. She had been exploring the ship and found Enaren jury-rigging the comm and data core systems, most likely to send to the Borg. She had watched him dicreetly as he had downloaded everything to several tricorders. Classified material had been released by the leak.

But could he actually be a traitor? Or was he doing this for a sincerely good reason?

More importantly, could she put him to death if she needed to?

* * *

_Mirake. _

_Yes, my queen?_

_They are coming. Have you been contacted?_

_Yes, by the telepath, Tapel Enaren. _

_He will be allowed to continue the transport of hs information. It will be valuable in the assimilation of the objective vessel._

_Resistance is futile._

_Indeed. The species onboard will be assimilated. _

_Yes, my queen._

_Now come forward. An upgrade must be made. You require repair._

Of course, Mirake/Jayvin obeyed, allowing the technician drones to upgrade her cortex to be sharper, faster, and more independent. More of herself. But in return, she was less free—she would be fighting her own people soon, assimilating them as they came.

_Because, Mirake, resistance is futile._

* * *

Short and sweet. We get the point across, and I finish making the nice readers/reviewers happy with two chapters in a day.

But a little amusing and interesting interlude of insanity.

SETTING: Borg Cube.

**Jayvin:** How did I get here?

**Mirake:** We are Borg. Resistance is futile.

**Jay:** ...try me.

**Borg Queen:** Mirake...Jayvin...Mirake...unable...process...shut down error 42...

**Jay: **(watches innocently as all Borg cease functioning) Did I do that..?

**Enaren:** Jay! You're alive! (dances like fool)

**Jay: **(slaps Enaren) Of course I am. But where did you come from and who's the guy behind you?

**Enaren:** Oh, that's...ummmm...wait, who ARE you?

**QGJ: **My name is Master Jinn of the Jedi Order.

**Jay and Enaren: **WDF!

**Hope:** (draws phaser, shoots Qui-Gon, steals lightsaber) Now what the hell is THIS?

**Jay: **No idea. (does Gir imitation) I DON'T know.

**Hope:** Well then...(turns lightsaber on) Whoa!

**Jay: **How the hell are you alive anyway?

**Gollum:** Pretty...my precious...

**Jay: **KILL IT! (laughs as Gollum is killed)...(continues laughing, all the while growing more demonic)

**Hope: **I have a bad feeling about this...you really are cruel, you know?

**Jay:** (snarls and lunges for Enaren)

**Enaren: **Whoa...AAAAAH!

**Hope: **Calm down, Tapis...calm down...

**Jay/Tapis:** (looks very feral, glares at Hope)

**Hope: **Enaren...you may want to move...

**QGJ: **...

**Yoda:** Learn the ways of the Force, you must, Master Jinn. Return with me to Coruscant, you shall. (the Jedi disappear in a flash of pink-or is it light red?-flash of light)

**Checkup on characters:**

(STAR WARS)

Yoda and QGJ: Jedi Temple

(LOTR)

Gollum: deceased

(TREK)

Borg Queen: in endless reboot loop

Jay/Tapis: currently as Tapis, making out with Hope

Hope: thinking of how to cure Jay so that she doesn't have to make out with her

Enaren: hurting, and completely confused as to the Hope/Tapis coupling

Mirake: in endless reboot cycle

Author: about to appear, ready at transporter pad

**Author: **Are you and Jay quite done yet?

**Hope: **Dunno...ask Jay...

**Tapis/Jay: **?

**Enaren: **Can you PLEASE explain to me why two very attractive and RESPONSIBLE women are over in the corner making out? Please?

**Author:** Um. Dunno. Since you are a figment of my imagination, though...it's really my choice.

**Enaren:** Then why don't **_I_** have someone! C'mon! You can do better than that!

**Author:** Erm. (cough cough) Well now THAT would be a spoiler if there ever was one.

**Enaren:** To Erebus (Romulan Afterlife) with that! I want a girl!

**Author: **(coughs, attempts to disguise femininity under usual gothic apparel)

**Enaren:** Hey...wait...you're a girl...

**Author:** (frantically pulls out script and scribbles) What girl do you want...anyone but me...

**Enaren:** Well...lesse here... Jay would be nice...or Commander Troi...

**Author: **(scribbles some more) Commander Troi it is. As of right now, she's in love with you. Just wait.

**Enaren: **All right...grr.

**Troi:** (appears in flash of pink light) Where am I?

**Enaren: **(takes hand) Milady, I have no idea as to our whereabouts but I can tell you right now that it shan't matter much after today.

**Troi:** Oh...(suddenly comes closer to Tapel Enaren)...it's you...(kisses him passionately)

**Enaren: **(blushes, but kisses back, giving thumbs-up to AUTHOR)

SCENE X times 6

**Author: **We'll check up on our wonderful Enterprise characters and see how they're doing without Troi now...

**Riker: **KILL HER! SHE TOOK DEANNA!

**Worf: **Glad to oblige you. (fires)

**Author:** AAAAAH! (dodges and plays Neo from the Matrix)

**Riker: **Damn, we can't hit her.

**Worf:** (charges with bat'leth, swinging strongly)

**Author: **(uses Naruto hand seals, manages to clone self to avoid being killed)

**Riker: **Worf! Get the right! I have the left! (shoots until Worf hits AUTHOR)

**Author: **(falls on floor, fatally wounded) Ohh...ow.

**Data: **(taps combadge) Doctor, we have a medical emergency in the Deck Five area, section Three.

**Spock: **It would be logical to assume that today is most definitely not your day, Anij.

**Author:** (winces) Couldn't tell...

**Torias Dax: **Anij? It's me...Torias.

**Author: **Are you a ghost? Wait...Dax...DS9...Jadzia...or is it Ezri?

**Tori: **Don't ask, it's complicated.

**Author:** Torias...I'm dying...

**Tori: **Well, I came back to say that I love you. (kisses gently)

**Author: **Is that all I get for writing this story and dying?

**Tori:** No. Well, not if you die.

**Author: **Okay. (dies obligingly to see Torias Dax)

**Tori:** Adieu! (waves, blows kisses to mobs of screaming teenage fans)

**Worf: **What was that all about again, Commander Riker?

END OF ACT I

* * *

SUGARHIGHEDNESS!

w00t.

-Anij Jinn


	9. Just to See Your Face

DISCLAIMER: Meep...I LOVE YOU GENE RODDENBERY! Unfortunately, he's dead (tear). So he can't let me have part of Star Trek.

This is really just a totally random chapter by a dead mind.

Sorry.

I really am braindead. Not good. And I want to write a FMA fanfic...or a Naruto...or a Juvie Orion...or something...I should have my FMA fanfic, _Mint Ice Cream_, up tonight...maybe...grrrr... It's RoyEd. Hahaha. More yaoi. I'm obsessed...or dead...or tired. Or obsessively dead-tired. Can you tell I'm braindead? (the appropriate answer would be duh)

Lalalala...Deck the Halls...with boughs of...zzzzz...

Anyway, I'm still randomly dedicating chapters. This one is dedicated to my friend Molly F. She's preppy but cool and definitely a genius.

Booyah. And here we go.

* * *

**JUST TO SEE YOUR FACE**

He was dragged along by a squadron of security guards, distrust in every stare.

Stopping, he was pushed forward roughly by the flank guard.

"Keep moving, Sub-Commander," he ordered, forcing the hybrid to move. "Resistance will be met with equal force."

_Thank the gods that they haven't seen my eyes yet_, he thought to himself, keeping his head towards the ground. He was tensing for a battle, and in preparation, his eyes were becoming increasingly slitted and cat-like. He could taste the air already, more Caitian than human anyway.

"All that's missing is the tail," he muttered aloud, and upon the realization that he had actually said that...

"What was that?" asked the same security officer.

Shaking his head, he trudged forward. He had one chance to do this; he had to do it right.

* * *

Shaking her head, Lak'tran was ready to kill someone. 

"At least," she muttered, "I have more patience than Jayvin did. We have to get her back.."

A door chime anounced someone's presence at her doorway. "Come," she called.

"Commander, the away team is nearly ready to leave; there is a delay, however..." the lieutenant trailed off, a bit nervous as to what he was about to say.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" she sighed, by now so frustrated that if this wasn't good news, the young man here would be her first victim.

"Me," said Enaren, dropping down into the room from a roof panel. "I want to go along."

"Tapel. You do realize how much trouble you are already in, do you not?"

"I do understand, Commander. I apologize for any—misunderstandings there may have been. The entirety of the information I downloaded was rewritten and made incorrect for security purposes. I needed it to fool the new Queen into releasing Jayvin," he said, raising an eyebrow at her confused expression.

"I want the data, **now**, please," she demanded as he handed her a padd.

Raising a black eyebrow, she sighed heavily. "You're free for now, Sub-Commander. What happened to your guards?"

"Erm." He coughed once, placed his hands behind his back, and stared pointedly at the ceiling. "They're taking a nap."

"Dead, or stasis, Mr. Enaren?"

"Stasis, for the most part."

"For the _most _part, you said?"

"Yes. One actually fainted."

With that, it was all the Commnder could do to keep from laughing.

* * *

The Queen knew they were here already, knew that it was only a matter of time before she would need to negotiate. She had already brought Mirake to her side, and was prepared for the little invaders. She had even ordered her drones to stand down. 

Overconfident in herself? Perhaps, she allowed. But they would not survive. Deep in the back of her mind, she knew she was malfunctioning in the personality supression area, thus came the air she now held. Not that she—they—cared much.

This edge gave the Collective what it needed to survive and grow, expanding to conquer the unvierse as a whole.

And this was but one step, one that would bring her great pleasure at the same time.

* * *

_Where am I?_

Oh. Yes. She knew exactly where she was. Standing at her monarch's side, she allowed the Queen to present her with an item.

A sword.

Engraved in the hilt was the word 'Miral' in Klingon. Miral meant angel, and she realized this had once been Jayvin Belar's sword. Testing the blade with a quck flourish, she found it sharp, and placed it n a sheath built into her back.

The queen slowly turned her beautiful head toawrds the drone, and what she said was heard by all of the drones in the ship, though it wasn't actually spoken aloud.

_It is an inefficient weapon, but it is what you shall use in the war to come._

The eager drone nodded, her own slight body quickly adapting to the new procedures flooding her mind and preparing her body. This didn't happen all the time, just when there would be a serious hardship.

Slender arms covered in sleek black armour grew stronger, while her personal forcefields were adapted to allow her sword out of them, rather than keeping them inside.

_Seventeenth adjunctant of branch five, you will be the first to die._

Thinking again as the person she once had been, she asked her own questions to the Queen.

_My queen, I would gladly die defending you, but why should I be the first?_

_Because, Mirake, you're the only one they're looking for._

Smiling sweetly, the Queen closed her eyes and listened to the drone's shriek of pain and agony as the nanoprobes inside the teenager began their new task.

* * *

"What the hell.." Enaren muttered as he heard a scream. It was not unlike the cry that had come from Lieutenant Marea. 

"Borg fighting it out in their own ship. How pleasant," Keanu sarcastically remarked.

"Keanu, kindly shut up. Remember our objective," he chided, at the same time knowing it wouldn't matter. The Queen already knew they were here.

As they finally entered the antechamber, the Queen stood in the center yet again, a drone eagle-spread at her feet, eyes wide open.

"You finally came, Sub-Commander. Of course, I find it quite amazing that these officers would allow a **traitor **in their midst," she commented, putting emphasis on the word 'traitor'.

"I'm no traitor... I'm here for the same reason they are. What are your terms?" Enaren demanded, though more than a bit edgy due to their last encounter.

"For what? _This?_" she asked, kicking the lifeless drone at her feet toawrds them.

"That's...that's Jayvin... what did you do to her?" he questioned, seeing her eyes open and her body nonresponsive.

"Oh, she's not gone yet. She still has work to do," the Queen wickedly smiled, and raising a hand, Mirake came back to life, drawing a sword out of her back and holding it in a simple attack position.

"All I ask is that you defeat her in a simple contest; swordsmanship. If you can, she's yours. The first to draw an approximation of blood is the victor. Easy?" she asked with an amused voice. This was when it became interesting.

"Fine. A deal is a deal though. You go back on your word..."

"What's there to stop me? But I will allow you to take her, should you win..."

She had intentionally failed to mention what the nanoprobes were still working at.

* * *

Accepting a sword from another drone, Enaren drew it with lightning-fast reflexes. He knew that he couldn't even try to kill the queen, as she would just kill him and his team. 

Nodding to Mirake/Jayvin, the Queen initiated the battle.

Mirake slashed forward in a fluid motion; the kind of Borg technology implemented in her assimilation allowed near-normal movement. At the same time, the hybrid blocked the swipe and aimed for the exposed skin on the Borg's upper chest.

Of couse, he missed and instead was blocked by an armoured hand.

Which grabbed his sword, and tossed it easily to the other end of the room, the owner of the hand advancing steadily as Tapel scrabled away. Jumping up and gaining a little leverage, he clung on the the wall nearest him and managed to avoid the furious strikes aimed at his legs and lower back.

Finally, Mirake backed away and allowed him to fall safely to the floor. As soon as he landed, he bounded on all fours over to the sword that had been thrown. Moving back to two legs, he parried every thrust and remembered one thing that Jay had never learned with a sword.

She had never chosen to learn Spanish sword fighting. IT had seemed too graceful and too much like a dance to be effective.

So Spanish it was to be. Gently reaching above him, he twirled away, confusing the drone almost immediately.

* * *

The battle had reached its peak and had been going for over twenty minutes. 

"He's dancing," commented Keanu to the three other officers.

"Perhaps, but he's doing what he needs to," offered a junior officer, looking around with his disruptor at the ready.

They all turneed and watched in awe, though, as the Sub-Commander suddenly stepped lightly forward and wrapped a hand around the drone's waist. At that, he dipped her backward, touching his sword to one of the few veins in her neck. A bit of blood dsid indeed splash out, and at that, he called towads the queen,

"Yield."

The queen nodded again, raising a hand.

"An excellent performace, Sub-Commander Tapel. Are you familiar with Shakespeare?"

_What an odd question_, he mused.

"Yes," he said cautiously.

"Then you shall appreciate the irony," the Queen laughed. Mirake freed herself from the hybrid's grasp and walked to the Queen, moving to kiss her.

Kissing her ardently, the teen's back suddenly arched and she fell to the floor slowly.

"Now, take your prize and never dream of coming back again," the Queen ordered, sending a flank of Borg to enforce the order.

"That's it?" Keanu questioned. He had clearly expected a battle.

"Yes. Should you be able to save her from what is ravaging her body, I commend you greatly. Now, **leave**," she called to the huddled team.

"Enaren to Azrael, six to beam back."

Glaring at the Queen, Enaren disappeared in a shimmer of blue light.

* * *

"Quick! I need an IV. You there, bring me a tractor scalpel. Lieutenant, run a level one diagnostic on her technological aspects, and Ensign, run a scan on her organic body. We need to keep her alive," Sub-Commander Marcus Kent yelled. 

Enaren watched from the side, where he was sitting. Sickbay beds were incredibly uncomfortable when they restrained your feet, he realized. Then again, it was his fault he was restrained; hovering over nearly-dead patients was generally considered bad.

She would be awake in about an hour, if she woke up at all. Her beautiful face was half-covered with a black metal faceplate, and most of her body was covered with armour. At the top, it was more than a little risque, as the line of armour went a little too low to be considered modest. At least it didn't go down any lower, he speculated. It wasn't like it was showing what it shouldn't.

He marveled at how well the technology interfaced with her body, at the same time. He had to admit to being truly impressed. The Queen had managed to create a being made of both flesh and steel, make her strong, loyal, and still incredibly beautiful. Yet, her eyes...before Jayvin had been assimilated, they had been a striking green..now they were grey edged with a light blue. Her Trill spots looked normal, at least, though they clashed against her incredibly pale skin. Dark against light. Much like what was inside.

So many things to worry about...and so many things to cast aside at the same time...

"Sir? Mr. Tapel?" called Kent.

Shaking himself out of the daze, he looked up.

"She'll be awake in a matter of moments, uinderstand that she will by no means be entirely herself. We can't remove all the nanoprobes, and basically, she's being torn apart from the inside out. We've slowed it a bit, but we can't stop it without her body's cooperation. We can, however, give you a few moments to speak with her. She's fully restrained, though under the circumstances..." he trailed off, leaving Enaren to wonder. Tapel nodded, and the doctor released him, leaving the two leaders to themselves.

* * *

"Mmmm..." she groaned, coming to very slowly, trying to reach to rub her eyes while dismally failing. Something was holding them back... 

"Commander?"

Oh...a familiar voice...opening her slightly sore eyes, she saw her former second officer. Opening her mouth, she tried to use her voice to speak for the first time in over three days. She realized how short a time she had been a Borg drone..it was hell...but she still was...where was her Queen?

"Tapel...? Where—what happened?" she rasped.

"We got you back," he stated simply. His frank purple eyes gazed into her cool and suddenly vulnerable ones.

"No..but where is my Queen..." she murmured, beginning to regain vocal control.

"She let us have you, Commander. What would you prefer me to call you for now? Jayvin, Mirake, or just Commander?" he asked.

"Mirake...we are...Resistance is...Resistance is futile," she stammereed out, eyes glazing over. Enaren reached out and touched her left hand, the only hand that was bare. She grasped it, needing the confort. "Please...Enaren...let me die..."

"No, Mirake. We went through too much just to let you die. You need to be alive...for me. Please, Jay, I know you're in there somewhere, don't die, please," he spoke haltingly towards the end, still holding her cold hand. "You're dying already; there are still nanoprobes in your system deconstructing your organic elements," he told her, deciding that there was really nothing that lying to her would accomplish.

Looking deeply into her grey eyes, he saw what he hadn't before. One of her grey eyes was scarred, a slight white slash running through it.

"Can you see in this eye, even?" he asked quietly. When she nodded to him, he reached out and calmed her chaotic mind. She was on the point of hysteria.

"Enaren, I can help you with the probes..." she trailed off and jerked slightly, muscles spasming as alarms began to ring. Her vitals were shaky, unstable, and her heart rate was beating too fast to pump any amount of blood anywhere. Her mouth opened and her back arched again in pain, her eyes shut firmly this time. As the doctors rushed in, Kent grabbed the shocked hybrid by the arm.

"What the fuck just happened!" he demanded, more than a little bit angry.

"She—she said she could help with the nanoprobes," he answered honestly. As he said that, she slumped back to the biobed, a slack posture finally allowing her to rest.

The only time Enaren had seen a posture like that was on Trill, during the Risan terrorist attack.

He had only seen it in the bodies of the dead.

* * *

"Sir! Sub-Commander! Mr. Tapel! Please, wake up, sir!" A lieutenant was shaking him awake, and he didn't like it at all. In response, he muttered out something that sounded strangely like 'but the scorpions are gonna eat Betazed...' The lieutenant responded to **that** by shaking him..._again_. "CMO Kent said that you want to hear this, sir. It's about the Commander," he said, hoping that the name would provoke a reaction. Which it did. 

"How is she?" he asked, suddenly awake and alert.

"The nanoprobes in her system deactivated about ten minutes ago, sir. She should be awake again in a few minutes," he told Enaren, who promptly straightened the uniform he had been sleeping in and practically sprinted into the main infirmary room.

"Good morning, Mr. Tapel," Marcus Kent said, greeting him with a plate of French toast and various fruits. He forced it into Enaren's hands. "Jayvin may be able to walk later today, but it is entirely up to her, as is the choice to remove the Borg technology. If we do it without consent, she can easily kill herself, even in stasis." With that grave announcement, he turned to the Azrael's first officer and put a hand on his shoulder. "We've only removed the cerebral and cortex Borg technology. She is able to think for herself now, and should remember most of her life beforehand as well as her ordeal," he said, leaving the room with a simple "Enjoy your time."

As if on cue, exactly thirty seconds later Jayvin's eyes fluttered open.

"Enaren?"

"I'm here, Commander," he responded. "Good morning."

"Morning...makes sense. I'm hungry.." she remarked.

"Here. Open your mouth, then." Popping a chocolate-tipped strawberry into her mouth, he smiled as she wrapped her delicate lips around the plump red fruit, taking a bit of it into her mouth, accidentially licking his fingers while doing so.

"Oh! I—I'm sorry, Enaren..." she said quickly.

"It's alright, so long as you keep eating. Like I said before, we've gone through too much to have you die on us," he said, picking out a choice fruit again, another Terran fruit. "You like strawberries raspberries, and blackberries, I know...what about oranges?" When he nodded, he carefully hand-fed her a small piece of it. Eventually, he realized just how much he enjoyed taking care of her, and having her apologizing one second, while eating out of his hand the next. She was just like a small child again, only in an adult's body.

He reached out towards her neck with the intention of tickling her and was reward by a high-pitched squeak as she moved away.

Eventually, as she became exhausted from the morning, she fell back to sleep, whispering to Enaren as she did...

* * *

YAY! 

Cute ending!

Awwww...I promise this isn't going to go into a weird fetish or anything. Maybe a little bondage later, but I seriously doubt it. Just because...well..I'm special. And I want readers.

Anyway, what'll happen to the little girl, Anni? What events will transpire at Marea's funeral? Can Jayvin regain command of her vessel as a part-Borg teenager?

Dunno...and we'll have more Picard later, as well as a nice little encounted with a certain species we'd all love to know more about... the Trill! I promise you...you'll like it...read...and review...50th reviewr becomes a god/goddess...please?

With sugar and a cherry on top?

Oh, and sorry for the stupidity of this chapter...I was out until about 2:30 am last night/this morning due to prom. I had an insane amount of fun, though, went dancing with my boyfriend, rode in a huge SUV limo with another couple and went to get cake at about midnight...made out with my boyfriend all the way back... (sighs, smiles dreamily) Ah, what fun...oh. Waitaminnitareyoutalkingtome?

Ooops.

Oh, and if you've never seen a drunk guy, you would have thought that last night was freakin' HILARIOUS.

Anyway, I'll update soon.

I swear.

-Anij Jinn


	10. What Drugs, What Charms

DISCLAIMER: Meep...I LOVE YOU GENE RODDENBERY! Unfortunately, he's dead (tear). So he can't let me have part of Star Trek.

Ohhh yes. I'm obsessed. Billy-bob Shakespeare is now residing in my mind. Yes, my MIND. I haven't slept in about 50 hours by now, and I'm hallucinating occasionally for some reason, and I'm on so many different medications that I have no idea how I'm in any shape to be at school, and yet my mind is in perfect working shape for writing. What a charm.

And a poem for you to enjoy. No idea as to the title, it's being written right now.

Love, the drug  
That drives thine lives  
beckons that beast  
living inside  
Here to call thee  
Wretched heart from thy chest  
Hearing the thunder  
Within thy noble breast  
And yet, in thee  
Resides a scrap of hope;  
The hate of the world  
Which do tarnish thy cloak

Wow...that was totally on-the-spot-driven-from-insanity-ye-olde-english. Yeah, alright, I have but one conclusion: Zoloft, Concerta, Melatonin, and other medications by NO means mix. Urgh...note to doctors...my head feels like it's spinning...and it hurts.

Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than the others; I'm only planning on allowing it to be three pages. As opposed to the six or seven in the last chapter. Six. No, seven. No, wait, it **was** six. AAAH!

Enjoy. It's a bit...erm...oh, nevermind. Just read the bloody chapter. Hee. XD

This chapter is dedicated to Mr. Dunn again, as well as his beautiful girlfriend, Piper. At least I _think_ that's how her name is spelled. She's gorgeous and funny. I wish them both happiness and love. This chap. Is for them.

**To keep the insanity away, keep reading, report back in review format.**

"**...OF MY WHOLE COURSE OF LOVE; WHAT DRUGS, WHAT CHARMS..."**

-from_ Othello_

The Borg girl's chest rose and fell steadily in rythym with her heart. It had been nearly a week since they had gotten her back. Her red hair was beginning to cover her head again, for her head had been shaved during the assimilation procedures. Her face bore a worried and somewhat troubled expression, as a single tear gently rolled down her cheek and fell to the floor. And then, someone was there to hold her hand, and she woke up again, out of the nightmare and into another one.

"Enaren," she said, gently entwining her hand with his, no desire in the touch, just the need for basic humanoid comfort.

"I'm here, Jay, I'm not going to leave. It's nearly time for breakfast, at any rate," he remarked quietly. Breakfast had become their time to talk, though Jay still had to be restrained. The Borg side of her had a tendancy to still come out, with the technology still embedded within her. He touched a control at the side of the biobed, and it made a seat-like area for her to comfortably eat in.

Walking to the replicator, he glanced at her. Her eyes were closed again, but she was waiting for him, he knew. Dialing a plate of fruit, her new favourite dish, he fed her, again being struck by the simple beauty of his commander. They had both grown fond of each other, though more as friends than lovers. They didn't love each other, and both knew that it would ruin their careers and lives if they ever got 'involved'.

But that had never stopped affection.

"It's this affliction which both ruins and strengthens our lives," Jayvin finally said. She knew what he was thinking, just as much as he knew her thoughts.

It had to stop.

* * *

"Commander, are you certain this is what you want?" Marcus Kent asked. "You know that this could very well make you a target for all of the Federation.

"I understand, Kent, but as I understand it, if all of the Borg technology is removed, I'll die. We know that," Jay snapped back, annoyed.

"This will take a few days, sir. The armour will need to be removed as well..." he trailed off, implying what he shouldn't have.

"I know, Marc. I know. Leave what you need to, I trust you with my life. But get this goddamned faceplate off...please...it itches and it's ugly," she pleaded. "You can keep the partial armour on my arm if you need to, but I don't think that will work."

"No it won't, sir. Your Borg arm needs to be completely amputated, we have prosthetic arms to replace it."

Sighing, she made her choice.

"Just get it over with, doc."

The last thing she saw as she was put under was the bright light.

* * *

Lak'tran stood in the ready room, not at all pleased. Anni was now hers to care for...and only because the child refused to cling to anyone else but Commander Belar. Not a pleasing outcome.

In the holosuite, a hologram of Lieutenant Commander Marea began to speak.

"Mommy!" a small voice yelled, running to her side. A hologram of Anni clung onto her mother as the Lieutenant's voice began to speak.

"Not now, Anni, run along. I have to do this. Commander Belar can take care of you," she said, bending over and smiling, picking up the little girl, and setting her down to run away. As soon as the hologram 'exited', the view changed from the basic grid background to the sweeping landscape of Earth, near China's outer borders, to be exact.

"If you're hearing this, I'm most likely dead. I probably died defending the ship, or maybe the Commander. Hopefully I died with valour," she said in a clear voice, laughing a little with the thought. "It's funny, how I'm recording this now, and I have no idea what the future'll bring," Marea continued, still smiling thoughtfully. "There's more than enough that can happen, and I hope that I at least died for a good cause. At any rate, for a memorial...I hate memorials. Heh...I guess this is the side of me no one ever sees. I've always been myself on the inside, a leader and person I need to be on the outside. And I've gotta say, I'm proud to be that way, proud to serve you, Commander, if you're here. Proud to be your officer, Jayvin. Thanks for the chance," she said. "End recording."

The hologram winked out, leaving the room to mourn.

The holodeck door whoosed open to reveal a uniformed female, tall and slender, with hair so short one could see her scalp through the short strands of reddish hair. Dark Trill spots lined the sides of her body, and the left arm of the uniform hung empty. Cold grey eyes scanned the grieving faces, and a thin black piece of metal lay embedded in her skin on the side of her pale neck.

It was Jayvin.

* * *

"Commander! It's good to have you back," a voice called.

"Yeah, Commander, sir, it's great to see you!" yelled another.

People crowded the hallway. Many had heard the rumours that she had been captured, and now, she ignored them, a disruptor at her side.

This had gone too far, that people were forsaking their jobs to simply celebrate. They had duties.

Locking the turbolift, she prepared to make an all-ship announcement.

"Attention all crewmembers, this is Commander Belar." Pausing for breath, she steeled her resolve and harshened her tone. "For those of you who chose celebration over duty—I'm sure that was only a _select few_ of you—I am incredibly dissappointed. Is this really the best you can do? I was unavailable for a little over two weeks. **Two weeks**! And in this short time, you came to believe this is a soft Federation starship, where such a display would be celebrated happily and drinks would be passed out. All of you who were at these celebrations...your transponders have been tagged. I expect _each_ and _every_ one of you to report yourselves for irresponsible actions by 0800 hours. Thank you. Belar out."

Sighing, she realized how hard she was going to have to be.

* * *

"I'm so tired of her attitude."

"She treats us as well as dirt."

"Something really needs to be done."

"Agreed. But what if the rumours are true? I mean, she was assimilated by the Borg. How do we know that she's not still a Borg?"

"She wouldn't be like this if she was a Borg, Sean. But she's got a stronger body than most humanoids now. And she's stronger, being part Vulcan and all."

"I'm part Romulan, if that counts. Sean's a Trill and Joann's half Klingon. We have her, strength-wise."

"Think about it... Now's the best time to strike. She doesn't have both arms at her disposal. We have six arms, three people. And more probably willing to help."

"Yeah, so she's missing an arm. But she has a sword."

"We have phasers, disruptors, bat'leths, and Orpheus. We don't need swords."

"But what if she finds out?"

"She won't."

"Next time we meet will be tonight. Make sure to cut the power to her quarters. Bring all of the weapons you think you'll need."

* * *

Smiling, the Junior Lieutenant followed Commander Belar like a trained dog, giggling occasionally and staying close to her leader. She knew what the Commander wanted, and had offered it without hesitation. Maybe she could earn a promotion like this, hopefully she could at least get the rank of lieutenant tonight.

Entering Jayvin's personal quarters, the twenty-or-so year old lieutenant immediately fell to the task of bringing the commander the one thing she needed both the least and the most—comfort in the form of forbidden pleasure.

Eventually, the young and troubled commander gave in to the only thing keeping her sane, and one of the few secrets she wanted to keep; her lust and love for those not only of the opposite gender, but for the female population as well.

* * *

"Let's go."

"She's probably sleeping..."

"It doesn't matter. Whether she is or not, she has already dishonoured her ship and her crew. She does not deserve Sto'vo'kor."

"Nevertheless, it's got to be done. Meet in Sean's quarters when we're done. Use the Jeffries Tubes."

With that, the merry little group of traitors dispatched themselves to the grim task of killing.

* * *

A gentle scratching noise alerted Jayvin to the presence of an intruder. The lights in her quarters were completely off, but that only made her sense of noise become more alert. Over her partner's moans, she rose silently out of bed, not even explaining an absence. Quickly pulling Miral from its sheath, she armed herself with a sword in one hand, a pocket phaser in the other.

A single man dropped to the ground silently from the ceiling. She moved towards him, eyes adjusted to the darkness. As he homed in on her in the dark, she realized with a start that he had night-vision lenses on. He had to, to have that kind of aim and precision. She dashed forward, careful of her steps, as another man dropped from the other side of the room.

This man used a bat'leth. She met him with equal force, driving her katana into the cold steel, and with a more experienced style, ducked a disruptor beam set to kill and allowed it to fly into the first.

A female entered from the side, jumping silently down to the floor. The smell of charred flesh permeated Jayvin's senses, spurring her to another kill. Slashing the throat of the other male out, she eagerly licked the blood off of her lips, grey eyes beginning to darken. The female attacker stood alone, a traditional Klingon dagger in one hand, a wickedly curved sword in the other. Crouching, the commander blocked the first thrust of the sword, still completely unclothed.

Caution was a forgotten word, the two leaping around, one dancing, the other clumsy but still strong. Jayvin threw her sword at her attacker, missed, and was left defenseless. Running to one side of her quarters, she stood, pleading for mercy, and then...

Drip. Drip. Drip. The drip of blood trickled down the Klingon attacker's chest, a katana between Jayvin's knees having driven it there.

The lights turned on, and the female lieutenant shrieked.

"What the hell just happened! What..." she cried, panic in her eyes.

Pulling her clothes on, Jayvin responded the only way she knew how to.

"Put your clothes on. I've got to get to the bridge; these people were officers," she said, hastening out the door and leaving the older adult behind to get dressed. Without that promotion.

* * *

There.

Four pages. Cuatro paginas. Me gusta!

El undécimo capítulo está siendo escrito. Lo publicaré pronto. Examine este capítulo por el momento, por favor!

TRANSLATION: The eleventh chapter is being written. It'll be published soon, please review this chapter for now!

Hee. More coming soon. Review!

It's kinda sad, right now, the ratio is 1:1. As in I have ten reviews. And ten chapters. That's it. PLEASE!

REVIEW!

Until I get to 15 reviews, no more chapters!

-Anij Jinn


	11. He That Dies

DISCLAIMER: Grrr...don't own, don't sue.

So. It's a story.

But I need your help.

A lot.

It was a big help when I actually got reviews, y'know...

I've decided that since I know I have at least 5 readers, I'm going to ask for 5 reviews per chapter or else I won't post. Since I didn't get my five reviews last chappy, I'm asking for ten. Please, people.

Hahaha...yes, I know I'm a Sith. Or an evil little Norse-god loving meeping being. Speaking of meeping beings...fear the birds. They will eat you...sitting in their trees and watching us...carry umbrellas, as they can't figure them out.

Thanks, Mr. Dailey, for warning me of (insert doom music here) the birds...

This is your chapter. Take it or leave it.

**Read and review. The Captain demands it.

* * *

**

"**HE THAT DIES PAYS ALL DEBTS"**

-from_ The Tempest_

"Junior Lieutenant Joann K'Valot. Half-Klingon, Half-Terran, female, age 23. Centurion Sean Nile. Trill, male, age 29. Junior Lieutenant Marek Paolar. Half-Romulan, Half-Vulcan, male, age 30," she said, rolling the names off her tongue as she began to name her attackers.

"Any other witnesses, Commander?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Aside from Junior Lieutenant Malia Joseph," she said to the grinning face of Tapel Enaren.

"Malia Joseph? What was she doing there?" he asked, not just curious but jealous if it was what he thought...

Jayvin flushed, clearly embarrassed.

"Well...nothing really, just talking..." she said, blushing furiously now.

"Nothing. Right. It's not like I really mind, anyway," he replied, his gentle voice now filled with a rich under-purr.

"Tapel," she groaned, hoping the use of his last name would calm him down, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, actually," he responded, just now realizing how short Jay came up on relationships. She had no idea...

* * *

Sitting cross-legged, the monster of human creation pondered the day's events. 

Was he the only one who already saw what would happen? The only one who realized just how threatened the ship was?

Apparently not.

He could 'hear' the thoughts of one particular mind.

_What if this happens to me again? Why can't everything go _right_ for once in my goddamned life? Just once! When I was just a child, things didn't go right, I was always hurt, always hated, always loathed, and stared at by all the other people just because I wasn't a full Trill..I was 'contaminated' by my Vulcan blood. Nobody ever wanted to play. Nobody ever did anyway. Why do I even care? The only way I can be loved is by using the power I wield to make other people powerful too, but then I lose power and nobody cares and I'm just the seven-year-old girl on the street again...after Mom and Dad died. It was the extremists' fault. Mom and Dad were forced back into active duty. And then the Borg threat sent them on the wings of the 'fleet to die at Wolf 359. Picard...that beast...Picard killed my parents..._

He quickly dropped out of the commander's thoughts, realizing he had heard what he should not have.

Jayvin was a lonely girl, but did she honestly deserve this? But then, he found himself eavesdropping...again.

_And then, all of my officers, they're all just there because they owe me something from sometime in their past. I would even guess that Enaren would leave if I hadn't unchained him from that lab. I felt sorry for him, so sorry...and my intuition always ends up wrong...everyone thinks I'm so naïve. I'm not, I realize what's happening around me...and now, attempts on my life...maybe I should be the one who dies._

A wave of sadness filled his mind, coming from the same place the thoughts had been. It was Jayvin, all right. She was depressed. Everyone could see that, though. With the way she treated others and herself, it was obvious that either she was much wiser than her years (of course, that was true), depressed (true as well), or in posession of a Trill symbiont (which meant nothing, really). She didn't have a symbiont, though she had always envied Dax, Fal, Liga, Gard, and Mat. Dax was in the hands of the Federation; it was off-limits. Fal was in a mere child; Jay might not like kids, but she would never kill them on purpose. Liga was a military leader, but heavily guarded enough that she was too smart to even try. Gard was an insanely violent symbiont—every single one of its hosts had been either killed in battle or committed suicide. And Mat...Mat was a symbiont she had once been contacted by while meditating in the symbiont pools, if he remembered correctly. It had never been joined.

But for now...he knew that he could comfort her. His insane mind came up with a plan that would at least lighten her up.

* * *

Reading the Shakespeare play, _Othello_, Jayvin calmed her raging emotions down. Gently petting the small kitten she had just found in the hallway, she watched contentedly as it purred. 

One of its ears had been injured, and it had surprisingly grey eyes, just like herself. Grey fur, grey-green eyes. And a pink button for a nose...the said nose was damp and cold.

_Such a cute little wee beastie_, she mused, allowing herself to act the age she was...for once.

Petting it right between the ears, the little kitten yawned and resumed purring, managing to fall asleep on Jayvin's lap. She knew that, by her own rules, she wasn't allowed to have the little kitten here. But it was so sweet...and who else would take care of it?

"Wake up, little one," she spoke quietly, as if someone might actually hear her. "I need to get rid of you, you funny little thing." As if it understood what she was saying, it mewed softly and settled back down on her lap, rolling on its back to look at her.

_It's a female cat._

_Maybe I _can_ keep it._

"I'll name you Tenshi," she murmured. "You're my little angel, that's what Tenshi means, did you know that?" she asked it while rubbing it between the ears. "Little Tenshi. No, wait. Akutenshi. I ought to name you Akutenshi. Aku means bad. You're not supposed to be here, little Tenshi. You're not supposed to," she smiled warmly while petting it. "How about your name's Tenshi, but I call you Aku when you're bad? Hmm? What do you think, little one?"

She didn't get a response, as Tenshi was already fast asleep, curled in a little ball.

* * *

"Commander on deck!" 

Enaren moved out of the command chair, yawning widely and displaying sharp, catlike canines as he sat back down in his own chair. The metal bridge of the Azrael left no room for comfort, really; without paint or padding on the walls, one could see the bulkheads. Yet at the same time, it left a sort of comfort. She allowed a lieutenant who was apparently obsessed with plants grow a simple ivy vine around the side of one of the bulkheads. Nothing else decorated the bridge though, with the metal command chairs being padded only with black leather cushions of a sort.

"Status?"

"We received a call from Engineering about twenty minutes ago, sir. They claimed that the warp field was malfunctioning enough that we're 'sitting ducks', in Sub Chalmed deBoer's own words," came the fast report.

"Great. No warp drive. I trust that we have phaser and disruptor banks charged?"

"Yes, sir. It's not a problem at all should we need to defend ourselves."

"Like now?"

A ship had just flashed out of warp near their warp nacelles.

"A thousand miles and closing, Commander."

"Federation vessel, New Orleans-class. Identification number NX-09654. It's the USS Hermes, sir," advised a centurion.

"Be ready to fire, lieutenant. On my mark," she called behind her.

"Yes, sir. Phaser and disruptor banks are on-line," came her reply.

"Excellent. Shields up! And ready...fire!" she called again, watching the beams of energy lance out in front of the Azrael. The said beams were intercepted by shields, but it only took a few more minutes and only a little bit of their own shields to destroy the vessel, or at least leave it in salvagable pieces.

"Belar to Transporter room Six. I need an away team assembled," she said into her combadge, nodding to Enaren and waving him to the turbolift. "Tapel's on his way, I want Chalmed there, as well as Centurion Brock. Lieutenants Indigo, Reede, and Melora should be fit for a security drill, be advised that the area is hostile. Out," she finished, sighing and slumping into her command chair, absently picking a few grey cat hairs off of her uniform.

* * *

It was a deathtrap waiting to happen. 

The former USS Hermes was freezing cold, leaking air from various finger-sized holes. Nevertheless, the Azrael's away team had ventured into worse before. For instance, the Borg sphere.

It was an eerie space, though, Chalmed deBoer thought. It was much like the fields of graves on Bajor, or the Fire Caves, where the Pah-Wraiths dwelt.

Shivering, she placed a hand on her slightly swollen stomach. Her child, Chalmed Kiran, would be born soon. She never wanted Kiran to have to experience this. Sure, Belar was a responsible and often wise commander, but she was so young. _Where is her mother now? Dead, or grieving for the child she once held within her?_ Wondering this, she nearly crashed into a large device. _Now what the hell is this..?_

"'Ay! Tapel! Haul over here!" she yelled. Hopefully he would recognize it.

"What, Chalmed?" he asked, leaping on all fours to clear a fallen beam, leaving the four humans behind.

"Take a look at this," she requested, whipping out a tricorder.

"It's a Romulan cloaking device. No, wait. This isn't Romulan... what's it doing on a 'Fleet ship?"

"I didn't know, that's why I asked."

"Well, this is now _our_ prize. Not the Federation's. Let's get out of here," the Sub-Commander commented. "Tapel to Azrael, six to beam out. Home onto this signal as well, beam it to Cargo Bay Two. Initiate," he said, shimmering as the room began to cave in until the air was completely gone.

* * *

"We have a cloaking device, deBoer. Why can't we just use it?" questioned Belar. 

"I'd like to run a diagnostic on the power transfer core. It's different from what your _typical_ Romulan would use. You see here, here, and here," she said, pointing out both readings on her tricorder and areas on the device, "and you see our problem. The Feds aren't exactly big on experimentation, and I don't want this thing to blow a hole in the ship or anything, Commander."

"Whatever you wish, Chalmed. When's the child due?"

"Four months."

"Starting in five weeks, I want you off-duty. Spend some quality time cleaning your quarters up. I'm sure your husband will agree...you don't want the little one to tear up everything he sets his hands on!" With that, she laughed, a lilting one that was accompanied by a genuine smile.

"You know, Commander, I've never seen you smile or laugh before," she wondered aloud, curious.

Immediately Jayvin's mirthful expression fell to a depressed one, which was quickly re-covered by a commanding face.

"There's a reason for that," she muttered. Raising her voice, she talked a little louder while exiting the cargo bay. "I'd like your scans done by 1600 hours, Chalmed, if it's not too hard to manage. I'll sign the orders for your time off tonight. Have fun."

With that she left the room with a depressed and sad air about her, leaving the young Bajoran engineer to wonder aloud once again, saying the same thing many times to herself, puzzled at the enigma of a commander she had.

"What did I do wrong?"

* * *

She sighed gently, brushing a hand over her head, since there was barely any hair there for now. Her pale skin was cool, and as a result, she was cold. Entering the hallway near her room, she swore that she needed to change the regulations. Again. The corridors were required to be anywhere from 7 to 10 degrees Celcius, or from 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit; she had liked it at first, but now...it was cold. The again, **space** was cold. As was the universe. Turning a blind eye to life wasn't a very warm or friendly way to greet it. Instead, it slapped life in the face. Go figure. 

Finally entering, she sighed happily, feeling the almost-tropical warmth of her room now. Seeing the exotic plants she had recently acquired made her feel happy, and the small waterfall-fountain of stone in her bedroom/work area's corner made the whole area feel serene and safe. As she marveled at the scenery around her, a small mewing animal brushed against her foot, licking her uniform pants and begging to be picked up.

Cupping the little kitten in her hands, she held her close. Laying on her back, she picked Tenshi up and began to play with her, making her dance. The entire time, Tenshi didn't complain or try to bite. And of course, there was the reward at the end, the small saucer of milk and the ear-scratch which was a reward to both of them; it ended in purring.

"Tenshi, you're honestly the best little friend I've ever had. All you ask for is love and a little attention here and there, and you love me no matter what...sweet little beastie." A small mew came from the kitten as it heard the silence. Jay smiled, not neglecting to spoil Tenshi with affection. "I'll always be here to take care of you, angel. Little angel." Of course, Tenshi responded by being a little angel and licking the girl's nose. Jayvin giggled, a slight sound, and smiled again, for the third time that week. Before, no one had ever seen her smile, except for her parents. Her father, though...

He had never liked to see her smile, and had scolded her for it.

"Jayvin, you are an exceptional compilation of two races, could you manage to perhaps control yourself a bit more?" Or maybe it was, "Daughter, in the history of Vulcan, we were once emotional people but eventually evolved to beyond that..."

He had hated it, just as she had in turn loved him and changed to please him, though it was never perfect. _Never_. He had loathed her for being too emotional and not Vulcan enough until the day of his death. And even then, she had mourned, wept, sobbed, and loved him, even missed him.

But now, she had someone to love, for once in her life.

"Tenshi, if only you could talk...you could ask me for anything and everything and I'd do it. Yes, I mean it, silly. You're such a gentle baby kitty, you know that? You remind me a lot of human babies, you're so innocent and sweet right now, but who knows what you'll be like when you grow up. I hope you're still innocent and adorably sweet," she remarked with a passing thought. Soon though, they were both asleep, Tenshi curled around Jayvin's head on the pillow.

* * *

Awww...kitty...I adopted a fish. It's cute. I have creatively named him 'Fishy'. Yep. Fishy. He's an adorable goldfish. Hee (smiles). 

And I frighten my Geometry teacher.

It makes me sad, because he's like a dad to me. Maybe someday I can convince him to read this fic. Dunno. I'll probably take this part out though, I don't want to make him feel weird or anything just because of me. Go figure...that's just me.

It strikes me just how much I'm writing the Jayvin character to be like me. That in itself scares the crap out of me. I'm MPD, just like she was before assimilation. I love cats, and animals in general. I'm depressed a lot of the time, much like her. And I love Shakespeare. But no, you couldn't tell THAT at all from the titles, could ya? There's so much in her that I idolize. She can accept her own faults, take life as it comes at her. Not only that, but she knows what it's like to lose loved ones, and to let down a family that never really loved her anyway. She really is quite an amazing character.

I only want five reviews for this chapter, and I'll publish the next one. I promise...

And remember...fiftieth reviewer gets a letter and a picture...plus their name in the fic...please review...if I know you personally I'll give you cookies...no joke...

-Anij Jinn


	12. What Hides Within

DISCLAIMER: See last chapter.

Dedication: Mr. Scurlock, Geometry teacher and good friend.

Side notes: I'm only asking five reviews! Even three! Please people...the faster you review, the faster I update and write...

Be nice...make the nice Anij-person happy...(purrs)

And remember...the fiftieth reviewer gets a signed and hand-drawn picture of the Azrael...or multiple pics...and a letter to them...of course, this doesn't matter if you're one of my classmates. They've all seen the drawings I've spent eons on. Really nice, pretty pics...

If you are one of my classmates though, I'll just give you cookies, since I annoyed you into reviewing anyway.

But honestly...is there no way to spend the extra twenty to thirty seconds to leave a review?

Whatever...it's up to you...

XD

Oh, and be grateful I'm nice...with the reviews...but now I want 15 reviews. After 15, I'll also post the next chapter of Never Saw the Sun, which I actually HAVE finished. Again, though, I'm nice. Otherwise you wouldn't have this chapter up yet. Hahahahaha. (lightning and thunder) Welcome to Moronsville, population...one. ME. Hahaha.

(dies pathetically)

And I'm not mad. Please don't get that impression. I'm just desperate. Even flames will do.

**I doth command ye to review!

* * *

**

"**O what man may within him hide..."**

-from_ Measure by Measure_

Tenshi meowed, rubbing against Jayvin's legs as the teenager watered random plants and finally sat back to relax.

"Just a second, Aku-tenshi...I have to clean up what you broke, crazy little kitten," she scolded gently, already knowing that it was going to get hard to hide Tenshi from her ship. "I hate my own regs," she muttered, knowing that if she let personell have pets, the ship would be overrun.

Tenshi mewed, her grey-green eyes staring up to Belar's as if to say _don't worry, I'll be good_.

"I hope you will, little one, because if you don't behave, there's no where for you to go but death," she said grimly, but still petting the little cat lovingly.

* * *

He sighed, his legs crossed and hands in a meditation position. Jay seemed happier lately. It was a good thing, too. She had been incredibly sad... And she still was, but was learning to be content and at least happy. 

Tapel left for the holodeck, giving himself a brief leave from the modern society. As he entered, he decided on the program to use.

"Computer, run program Tapel 34.6, authorization open-mind," he ordered.

"Program loading...Combat Exercise Version Three, author Tapel Enaren," the computer's pleasant voice replied. "Loading complete."

Stepping through a door, he slung down the duffel bag he had been carrying and changed into something akin to a Starfleet Special Ops uniform. Fully black with dual white stripes running across the chest, it was nearly skin-tight but still breathable.

Done changing, Enaren selected two weapons, his favourite set. It was made up of a light-weight longsword, closer to a katana than a sword, and a ball-and-chain set which strapped to his forearm as a heavy smashing tool. After preparing, he entered the arena through another door. The arena was set inside a forest, and his nostrils flared, taking in the scent of foliage.

Walking down a long line of selectable opponents, he decided on four for this session; in order, a Jem'Hadar, a Rigellan, an Ontaillian, and finally, a Changeling. The Jem'Hadar held a wickedly curved short sword in one hand, leaving the other free to block. Bowing slightly, Enaren felt his pupils fully contract to the feral cat-like visage he usually hid. Shutting off the range of him telepathy, he decided that he wished to concentrate fully on the battles here.

Rushing the Jem'Hadar, he ducked an attack and stabbed his katana into the neck of the male.

"That was much too easy," he said aloud as the holographic blood of the soldier splashed his nose.

He chose to face the Ontaillian and Rigellan at the same time in the hopes of having a slightly more challenging match.

Sweating by the end of the second battle, he faced his hardest opponent; a changeling.

The female Changeling formed a scimitar in one hand and a small shield in the other, rushing Enaren at the same time.

Enaren's grunt of pain was muted as the shield smashed down on his head, and the sword slashed his arm open.

"Computer, disengage program!"

The holodeck walls faded out to the yellow grid on black, and the hybrid breathed a sigh of relief. Now, to get his arm patched up. It was all in a day's work anyway. But only a day on the Azrael.

* * *

"Status report," she ordered to the back, becoming quite annoyed when none came. Leaning over the tactical officer, she breathed on his neck slightly, becomine quite amused when he shivered and fell out of his chair. "Am I going to get a report, lieutenant?" 

"Y-yes sir. Shields are at 100 percent, phaser banks 95 percent charged, disruptor cannons at 100 percent. Sir."

"Why thank you, it's so nice to finally see that I have some respect around here," she remarked, suddenly whipping out a phaser and giving the young man a Force Two stun. _He_ wouldn't be waking up for a while...

"Commander," came a soft tone, almost too gentle and well-mannered to belong on the ship.

"Yeah, Enaren?"

"Sub-Commander Chalmed requested your presence in Main Engineering Deck three. She says that she can use the cloaking device retreived in the last away mission," he said. Watching the teen jump up almost immediately, he dryly added, "and yes, I _will_ take care of the bridge inyour absence, thanks for asking."

He got no response at all as she left in the turbolift. Sighing, a lieutenant, knowing that Enaren wouldn't shoot him, asked a question.

"Why is she always so strict and cruel?" He received no answer but a mere shrug from the first officer.

* * *

"It will be engaged soon, there are a few specs I have yet to work out but the Azrael will be able to cloak. Then she'll be a real angel of death," Chalmed deBoer grinned. 

"Yeah...Rayyu's child. Rayyu is the master of the angels, with Azrael being the son and therefore the angel of death...Gabriel was the angel of organization before he fell traitor. There are so many others I could have named this ship after...but it's going to be the Azrael," Jayvin puzzled out loud.

"Rayyu. That's actually a nice name," Chalmed mentioned, "Chalmed Rayyu. I like it," she giggled.

"Oh, come on, stop being a two-year-old. That's an order," Belar responded, smiling all the while.

"Anyway, this can be used in thirty to fourty minutes, so by 1405 hours or so, send word down," deBoer finished.

"Wait, what time is it then? Right now, I mean?"

"About 1330 hours, Commander."

"Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit..." Jay responded, proceeding to string together Terran, Klingon, and Roumlan curse words together. "Sal'sasKon!" she shouted, causing people to jump.

"What is it, Jay?" deBoer asked, not really worried at all.

"Nothing...I'll be right back," she said, sprinting towards a turbolift. She left the entire engineering staff to wonder what in the world was going on.

* * *

About twenty minutes later, she returned to the engineering room, much happier, with grey fur(?) all over her uniform. She waved off stares and proceeded to be annoyed as the first of many well-needed upgrades on the Azrael took place.

* * *

Now this was probably the singlehandedly most pointless chapter I have ever written, but I got bored...sorry for the Shakespearian chapter names, it'll probably continue for a gooood long while now. Hee...blame the plot bunnies. And I just found out that Del'Cera Osisrin STILL hasn't read chapters 9-11! So he's sitting next to me reading them. We're at school XD. Anyway, a word from him... 

Del: You still scare me.

Anij: Good. Be scared.

Del: AAH! (runs)

Anij: (laughs)

Mr. Dunn: Wait...whoa...AAAH!

Haha. Mr. Dunn. Haha. Haha.

He also helped me write this chapter, this was the most random part fo the Azrael so far...Oh well. Skittles are funfun.

So...I DOTH COMMAND YE TO REVIEW!

-Anij Jinn (And Del'Cera Osirin)


	13. Swift As a Shadow

DISCLAIMER: See last chapter.

Dedication: My socks.

Read. This is just a brief bridge between the previous chapter and the next.

Haha.

At this rate...three chappys in one day...w00t...

Oh, and sorry this is so centralized around Enaren. It needs to be for the chapters to come to make sense.

Also, just a random thanksgiving thing: My guinea pig doesn't have cancer! YEAH! She had tumours, but they're not cancer. Hahaha...so Snickers shall live happily ever after. XD, it makes me very happy.

**Review, make my guinea pigs happy.**

"**Swift as a Shadow, Short as any Dream..."**

-from_ A Midsummer Night's Dream_

Enaren realized it before he woke up. His concious awoke with a start in his dream, leaving his mind to wander. It wasn't his fault...He had been graced by Aphrodite. Graced was hardly the word. Madly insane with this new sensation, perhaps. Not graced though.

The dream was filled with compulsions, and things he had never felt in his life. He had never known to love, and never learned to hate. But now he hated himself for loving another.

It had to be her. It just had to be.

* * *

Rubbing his injured arm, he sighed and leaned back, falling onto the bed. Sighing quietly, he pulled out a small photograph from one of the drawers next to his bed. It was one of his more precious posessions. Memories that would never really come true, dreams that were actually nightmares, they haunted him. Slowly pulling his knees up to his chest, the hybrid sat on the bed, gazing out at the stars.

_Do stars have dreams, too?_ he wondered childishly. After all, he was only 19. He was allowed to be childish occasionally.

_Maybe they do...but even then, I'm still older than **her**...why couldn't I see this coming? Why did this happen to me of all people? Does Lady Fate just hate me, then? But...her smile...I'd do anything to keep her smiling, keep her alive..._

He drifted off in thought, still looking out at the stars, and wondering about love as the ship went to warp, the stars becoming blurs against a black canvas backdrop.

_Maybe they do..._

* * *

He woke up with a start as someone called his name.

"Tapel Enaren, for the last time, if you don't wake up..." came a voice, most definitely female.

"Huh? Who...now...wait, what?" he asked, not fully awake.

"Well it looks like _someone _was having a—erm—good dream," Chalmed deBoer remarked, looking pointedly at the wetness on certain areas of his uniform.

Hastening to cover it up, Enaren snarled at her.

"And why the hell are _you_ in here, again?"

"Commander's orders. You hadn't reported in, she sent me to check on you. So who's the girl you were dreaming about?"

He sighed, not wanting to reveal it, and at the same time desperately needing to tell someone. The feelings in his mind were only going to get worse, he figured. And peering into deBoer's mind revealed only sympathy and a desire to help.

"Well..." he began, and trailed off.

"Well...?"

"Jay," he purred with more than a little contentment in the name.

"Ah...it could work, you know," she grinned, looking at him. "She's definitely a dynamic and active person, perfect to fit your lifestyle. It could work." Simply purring contentedly, Enaren looked like a cat, deBoer decided. "It's times like these when we all can tell that you're just _dying_to be a Caitian," she finished, amused. Crinkling her eyes, she whispered something to him, and with that, he decided where this would be going.

"Alright, deBoer. But...when...and how?" he asked her, confused. "You've loved before. You have more experience," he protested.

"I'm around all the time, Enaren, it's not like I'm going anywhere, kitty," she smiled at the nickname she had just given him.

"Don't call me kitty, Chalmed, please?"

"Whatever you say, lover boy..."

Later on he would wonder why he had let her waltz out of the room with that nickname hanging in the air.

* * *

Hee. It's short. Not even 2 full pages. But who really gives a crap? I've written two chapters today, and will post the next one momentarily. REVIEW! You now owe me...well..I won't charge for this chapter...but I need 20 reviews. That could be done by two people, folks. TWO PEOPLE! Heh...not Never Saw the Sun chapters for a while, then..until I get to 30 reviews total...no more chaps...good for me, bad for you...XD.

Yes, I'm out there to make the nice little readers hate me.

And besides, I already know the characters like the back of my hand. And if you don't review, I'll send one of my personalities after you. Sometimes being MPD and still annoying is fun.

I love you all. Thanks for reading.

-Anij Jinn


	14. Insanity Within

Hello, folks. This is Anij, please enjoy this. A bit AU for Trek, but it works...

DISCLAIMER: The only characters I own are the people on the Azrael.

This chapter is dedicated to my boyfriend, Jordan, and my twin, Yavie. W00t and yay.

This was actually the second chapter I had ever written for Azrael, it was quite surprising. Again, the original title of this series was 'Song of the Valdore', but hey, enjoy.

REVIEW!

Thus, I have finished my introduction. Make what you wish of it... Please R&R and enjoy.

* * *

**INSANITY WITHIN**

A boy, almost a man, sat in the command chair. His dark purple eyes reflected softly off the glaring viewscreen, but they weren't innocent eyes. Not really. Deep within, one could see the turmoil and turbulence of troubling thoughts. He quickly came out of the moment, sure not to leave a weak impression on the officers under his command; weak leaders never lasted long here, on the Azrael. As he turned back to his hard-working mind, the doors at the turbolift swiftly opened, revealing the tall and slim figure of Commander Jayvin Belar, the designer and leader of the proud spacefaring vessel.

"Sub-Commander," she said, addressing him in an authoritative term, nothing more.

Inclining his head towards her, he addressed her, "Sir."

"Anything new happen?"

"Yes sir. We received word from engineering that the cloaking device requires maintenance and will be at least four hours until repairs and upgrades are completed. Disruptor cannons and phaser banks will have to be partially drained to compensate for the loss in power," he explained, carrying out his duty as delta and alpha-shift commander. He relinquished control of the command chair as Belar briskly walked over to it as if it was a right and not just a privilege. Then again, he mused, she ran the ship, since she had comandeered it with herself and a few dedicated members, taking over three Earth years. And she was only eighteen. Shaking his head inwardly, he moved to the turbolift to head to his quarters.

"Oh, and Enaren..." the active commander called back to him, using his first name this time.

"Yes, Commander?"

"Holosuite Six isn't working, if you have some spare time and a few off-duty engineers interested in a few days off. Just a side note." Grinning almost mischievously, she turned her focus back to the projections on the viewer, brushing her short and uneven red hair out of her face.

* * *

Once in his personal quarters a few minutes later, Enaren instructed the computer to lock his doors with a security override option only. Moving to where his bed was, he sat down on the edge, near a bedside table, underneath a windowful of stars. Pressing his thumb against a bioscanner, he opened the bottom drawer. Gently pulling out a small bag bound in white ribbon, he reached his hand in, carefully removing a real picture, a data chip, and a letter written on real paper rather than on a handheld computer system. Carefully he picked up the small picture and held it close to his chest, pressing it against the front of his uniform. After a few moments of sitting there with his eyes closed, he pulled it away and looked it over. A radiant teenager with auburn hair and pale skin stared back at him, her grey eyes adding an almost surreal aspect to her face. Seeing her like this, dressed in a simple off-duty jumpsuit, it was enough to throw Enaren into a better mood, so that he threw himself onto the bed, just looking at her face in the picture, then holing it close once more. A few minutes later, hand draped across his chest, he lapsed into an undisturbed sleep.

* * *

"Status report," demanded Jayvin. Glaring at the tactical section, she rose to her feet and strode over all the while asserting a menacing kind of air.

"Co-commander, we have no idea what just happened. All we know is that we lost all contact with deck 11," stammered out a junior officer.

"Indeed, I couldn't see that at all from where I was sitting," she said with more than a hint of sarcasm. Then leaning a bit closer, as if sharing a secret, she whispered, "perhaps next time it would be a good idea to read your board. It generally helps a little, yes...?" It wasn't much of a question, but it was enough to turn the young man's face a bright shade of crimson; it caught the attention of most of the bridge staff and elicited snickers from a few. Though younger than the officer, Belar could put herself in his place. Making purposeful steps back, towards the turbolift doors, she offered a parting word to no one in particular as to where she would be. "If you need me, I'm in Holodeck Twelve. And please, _please_ explain to the beta-shift engineering crew that because we said repair the sensor relays doesn't mean that they have to screw up other things as well. The influx of static in the com lines that was caused was inconvenient, to say the least." Smoothing back her unevenly cut auburn hair, she entered the lift and was sent on her way.

* * *

Entering a code, Jayvin stepped through the automatic doors to the holodeck.

"Computer, play program Jayvin Seven-Oh-Three. Authorization Gamma-Tiger-Delta, code one, level hard." As the computer rushed to comply, she absently reached up and twirled a lock of her very short hair, and then, the program was finally finished. Changing into black pants and a tank top, she drew a light rapier blade from a rack. Testing the blade lightly on the palm of her hand, she came forward, out of that room and into a much larger one with a dirt floor and an open roof. Selecting an opponent from a line formed near the outside, she led the way into the circle, and without much said, a fencing match began.

By the time she had drawn blood on the holographic character, she had become rather tired, the boldness and authority that seemed to come so naturally largely leaving her posture altogether. Slumping to the ground, she gathered her remaining strength and will to push aside her exhaustion for a few more moments.

* * *

By sheer willpower, Enaren had managed to not say anything when he had seen her, the one person he felt without a doubt was perfect in every aspect in the turbolift next to him. He was her subordinate; a relationship could never be long-lasting or even exist between the two of them. Yet every word she allowed to fall from her lips was music, her every action that of a graceful dancer. To him and him alone she was brilliant and powerful and at the same time someone he wished with all his very soul that he could take her into his arms and never let go of. Subconsciously, Enaren knew he was falling into an abyss from which there could be no probable escape; but he didn't really care. He was immersed in this past the point of return, at least in his mind. He felt the pressure of her lips on his in his mind, and the feel of her smooth skin beneath his hands. He needed release from these daydreams...but how?

* * *

When the commander reported back to the bridge nearly five hours later, the Azrael was in orbit of a class-M planet known for it's ancient ruins and mysterious history, Sari VI.

"It makes you wonder what really happened there," the girl inside of her allowed her to admit.

"True enough... Sari VI is even mentioned in my people's history at a point, calling it 'the source of power' for the universe at one point. Legend has it that an energy spring exists there, and that from this central point our galaxy and perhaps universe as well draw off this energy spring to create and destroy life. It makes you at least think," Lieutenant deBoer agreed.

"It's a good enough reason to call an away mission, I think." Tapping her combadge, she gave the order: "Away team to shuttlebay three. I need a pilot, Sub-Commander Enaren, and a few security guards; plus a specialist. Anyone who wants to come and specializes in civilizations come along, please. Belar out," she finished, cutting the transmission. "Well, Lieutenant, I suggest that we go investigate for ourselves."

* * *

Ten minutes later, there were five uniformed people in the shuttlebay, ready for launch. As they all loaded in, the chief of operations for the deck warned her:

"Commander, it mightn't be a steady descent on this shuttle; we've done all we can to get 'er fixed up for ye. Apologies in advance." Whistling an Irish tune, apparently what he ALWAYS whistled, on the way out, he retreated into the safety of the corridor and was gone. Now that everyone was ready, deBoer started the engines and got clearance from the control room to proceed onward, past the bay doors. A moment later, they were out in open space, hanging among the many stars and planets, a part of the galaxy but still somehow removed. Rapidly freefalling towards the planet, reverse thrusters were applied. It was then they all knew something had gone wrong.

"Commander! Thrusters are not responding! Engaging descent pattern alpha, please brace yourselves for a bumpy ride down..." the lieutenant's voice trailed off as she began her work, doing what she had studied for so many months, maybe even years. And now it was happening, in front of their eyes. But now wasn't the time, wasn't the place for such knowledge like this; the kind of genius that comes from a textbook but not from what one has seen before one. And today just wasn't the day.

"Lieutenant, if you don't mind, Tapel and I can handle it." Motioning to Enaren, she moved to the primary pilot controls, choosing a joystick over plotted points. As he sat down near her, the tension was nearly tangible, Every breath had to have a purpose, every second a meaning. Taking hold of the cold joystick, Jayvin began to take the shuttle in side-to-side motions to burn off excess heat and slow down, and then slowly nosed the front end up, to create a larger surface area for air to interface with. Nodding towards Sub-Commander Enaren, she told him without words to take secondary control over; to control the flaps to slow them down while still burning off heat. Then formulating a plan, she called out over the increasing wind noises, "Everyone, get in the back. Now. Even you, Sub-Commander. If something happens to me, I want you all to make it safely through this, understand me?"

"Aye, sir. I believe I answer for all of us when I say that," replied Enaren Tapel, his frank and worried violet eyes looking at her, focused on her every move. Finally breaking the spell, he moved back. "You heard her, everybody. **Move**!"

* * *

_Thirty seconds until impact._

The computer silently counted down on a screen. People's eyes met nervously, looking forward at their driven and self-appointed leader, sitting in the front, keeping them alive.

_Twenty seconds._

A soft cry escaped from the lips of deBoer. The security officers sat with faces cold as stone, trained to be tough in hard situations.

_Fifteen seconds_.

Jayvin ran a nearly numb hand through her semi-brushed hair, so focused on the task at hand she didn't hear the rushing wind anymore.

_Ten seconds_.

The distress alarm finally was turned on, letting the Azrael know about the danger they were in, sending a final black-box recording to the ship's logs.

_Five seconds._

No time left to worry now; Enaren jumped to his feet as the deck began to rattle and rock. Even now, Jayvin still sat in the front seat.

_One second._

The ground became the only visible thing; everyone braced themselves for impact—everyone except for Commander Belar.

_Impact_.

The shuttle shattered into a thousand pieces around them; hell wound its way forward into the present. The walls imploded with the shock of hitting the ground at such force at the same time a scream wound its way out from everyone cowering in the back of what had once been a space-faring vessel. The earth trembled with the force of impact, and blood—much of it Jayvin's—splashed the entire area around.

* * *

Picking his body up off the floor, Enaren forced himself on his feet. _At least I _can _stand_, he mused. He saw the body of one of the security officers, his chest caved in by part of the ceiling. Chalmed deBoer lay unconscious on the ground, with what could be a concussion and an obviously broken arm. The two other guards lay injured a little farther away, but... _Jayvin_. Desperately searching with his eyes, he felt a faint pulse in his brain when he reached out to her mind. He finally spotted her underneath what could have been the hatch, legs nearly crushed, blood pouring from her shoulder, arm, legs, and other various cuts. Her arm was clearly broken from the angle at which it lay, but her eyes... at least they were open. Screaming for release, but open. Stifling a cry, he staggered over to her, deeply worried about her.

"Com-Jayvin! Are you.." he cut himself off, falling to the ground beside her and carefully dragging her bloodied halo of hair and her head into his arms, off the dirt and dust.

"Eventually..." she groaned. "But right now... ask another time." He grinned despite the situation; if she could go out of her way to say something like that in that much pain, then he could get away with showing his feelings and letting them bleed through to the surface. But those thoughts quickly became moot points, because she began to weaken almost immediately. Her eyes began to close, as her breathing begun to be ragged and her body relaxed some. Careful not to disturb the sleeping angel of death, that dangerous beauty, he laid Jayvin back down on the ground and picked through the rubble until he found a mostly intact medkit. Pulling out emergency water rations and a small towel, he gently rinsed the teenager's wounds and then moved on to care for the others. One of the officers that had been thrown clear of the impacted area wasn't all too injured, and with mild painkillers was able to assist Enaren in his attempt to save the remaining members of the crew.

"Easy. Careful, Commander, don't hurt yourself. You're already injured," warned Enaren, his voice modulating weirdly both because of the wind and the distance between them. He rushed over as Belar tried to climb to her feet but failed, and was there to catch her as she did so.

"Thanks, Tapel," she said, gasping out in pain and yet still remaining mostly calm beneath her wild appearance. "What shape are we in?"

"Nearly everyone was seriously injured, yourself included, three casualties due to the impact, two injuries among the away team." Nodding worriedly, he added, "One injury wasn't all too serious, as you can see." He motioned over his shoulder at the same time, to the crewman attending the security staff still down. Finally, as they sat there, at last in a moment together, the whine of shuttle engines alerted them to rescuers from the Azrael. The shuttle eased down, hitting the ground with a thud, and a moment later personnel came out. Enaren was pushed aside as an antigrav stretcher was placed underneath the commander, and several others were placed on them as well. They all squeezed into the shuttle rather quickly, eager to leave before the rapidly approaching night.

* * *

About an hour later, everyone had been checked into the infirmary and even Enaren Tapel was getting some rest. A peaceful but somewhat somber mood had settled in after the entire ship has been assured that the captain was alright, though several crew members had requested leave for time to grieve for the many who had died on Sari VI's surface. Many issues were unresolved, but for now the entire ship seemed happy to forget and move on.

Except for Enaren.

He had taken command of the ship, but he really couldn't sit in her chair without thinking about her. Jayvin was...well..a hero to him. She was an angel. Why couldn't he do something? He sat here every day, just thinking about her, yet he could do nothing. Pounding his fist softly against the side of the command chair, he drew attention but he didn't much care. He was first officer, the Sub-Commander on the Azrael! Why... Pushing these worries aside, he tried to keep his calm. He would visit Jayvin after his shift.

* * *

Entering the infirmary alone, he cautiously drew near the commander. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) had already been ordered to leave them alone. He had taken the hint. He saw her prone form on a bed, so slender, so childish, but still deadly... He saw a Klingon dagger on her bedside table. Whatever happened, she was ready. He grinned despite himself. This was the Jayvin he knew. Not the soft-spoken, pained child that he had rescued.

But she was a child, in a way. Such a child... Only fifteen and already more powerful than most people in the Federation. And more deadly, by all means.

"Commander?" he allowed himself to quietly ask.

"E-Enaren? I didn't know you were coming...otherwise I wouldn't have had this," she laughed ruefully, gesturing towards her knife.

"It's quite all right... If I had known that you needed security, I would have sent a team," he said, a bit alarmed. As her eyes closed gently, his gaze traveled from her nearly-perfect face down towards her chest, and other areas of her body., eyes caressing areas that he could never hope to touch or even dream of... Just as quickly as he did, his eyes snapped back upward to her face; he was ashamed of this attraction to his leader and friend.

"Sub-Commander. You had something to tell me, or else you wouldn't have come," she continued, leading onward to the obvious. Tapel Enaren froze immediately. How to tell her that she was already the one he had bonded to? The one he had chosen? Being the experimental species he was, he would bond to an individual for life. If his angel was to reject the bond, if it were a forceful enough rejection, it could kill him. But how to tell her that he loved her? That she was his only one?

He couldn't. His dreams and fantasies were his own. No one else's. And certainly not her's.

"Tapel!" she called, using his last name as a warning. "Tell me...now."

"I—I'm sorry Commander. I can't," he said, cursing himself almost immediately afterward. He had put himself into this labyrinth, and there was no way out of it...none at all. If he had the strength to love, why did he not have the strength to tell? He did the only thing he could. He leaned forward, closer to her than he—or anyone—had ever been to her in her life. At her questioning gaze, he gently placed his lips upon hers. He had never done that to her...No one had. And it showed, but her contentment was that of a child.

* * *

Pulling back slowly, she looked up in utter amazement at the man—barely a man at that—that she had entrusted her command to. What had he been thinking? What had _she _been thinking? But...just that kiss...It told her so much, confirmed what deBoer had tried to tell her earlier. He loved her. Enaren loved her. Reaching up slowly, she let her fingertips grace his cheek before gently returning the kiss, and letting his know that no matter what he thought, or felt, she still trusted him.

Enaren left the infirmary almost overjoyed. He could still smell her scent, still taste her lips, still feel her hands in his. She loved him! Perhaps the nightmares and problems would go away, at least for a while. She knew he had bonded himself to her, it was the equivalent of marriage, more or less. He knew the bond hadn't been accepted yet, but perhaps it would, someday.

* * *

It was about a week later, and thanks to dermal regenerators and modern medicinal techniques, Jayvin was out of the infirmary. She didn't let anyone know, and didn't intend to until 0800 hours tomorrow morning. But there was a certain someone...

Leaving for Tapel Enaren's quarters, she stood right inside the door, out of sight though, until he came in. Not seeing her, he pulled his uniform shirt off and then..

"You know, you look kind of cute with your shirt off...I don't know about that...You can't let the other senior officers know..."

Answering her by going to her now-obvious position, he put his arm around her and brought her close, kissing her first and then gently trailing a hand down, eliciting a gasp. With that opportunity, he slipped his tongue into her mouth, and then, kissing her passionately, began to drift towards the nearest bed...though neither of them really realized where they were going with that. Gently tugging off her shirt and then her thin undershirt, he held her close and felt her breath coming in gasps, realizing his was as well. It tickled his face, and while she smiled quietly and shyly at him, she brought a hand behind his head, bringing them together again. Holding her close with one hand, teasing her body with the other, they spent the whole night like that, together.

Finally in the morning, when they awoke, he felt a small weight on his chest, and saw her sleeping peacefully, using him as a pillow. Smiling, he held her close as a response.

_If only,_ he sighed, _if only all love stories ended this way._

* * *

That's it for now! You'll see this being updated rather frequently from now on, I swear. I have the rest of the story laid out and ready to go... These are all characters that I've had in mind since roughly three years ago, I had just never developed them to have names or anything. But it makes sense. I put names on them that made perfect matches for them...I saw their names as their personalities first, basically.

Well, keep reviewing! I'll keep writing.

-Anij Jinn


	15. His Affections Dark

DISCLAIMER: The only characters I own are the people on the Azrael. I don't own Star Trek.

This chapter is dedicated to the Guitar God, Mr. Clark(ie). Clark-sensei...you RULE!

Please review. Also, the name of this chapter isn't referring to Enaren. It's referring to Death, or Hades, or something. Guess why...

And a bit of poetry I've decided to title 'Azrael'. If you really let the emotion and feelings flow through you, you'll know the fate of the ship. If you think on it, you'll already know the story, beginning, middle and end. So it's your choice. Puzzle over it as you may. The previous foreward is the meaning to me.

Every time he blinks, an angel dies

Every time he smiles, a person cries

Black skies painted

Sunset red

And now, at the house, it's time for bed

Let him rest his weary, troubled mind

And think no more for the night

Let him dream of his Father Time.

Woden has sworn to care for him,

(despite your faults and flaws)

And thus his life is doomed to dwell

On the horrors that have passed

The kisses and words never exchanged;

There is never any going back.

Yup. That's it. Solemn, meaningful, and seemingly unrelated. Think about it. Hint: It's a riddle. There are clues throughout the entire plot. Here are the questions to ask, since it's like a scavenger hunt.  
1. Who is the man/woman (It can be either)?  
2. What do the colours represent?  
3. If Woden is God, then who does this make the 'angel'?  
4. Why would someone else's faults make someone think twice about caring for the person?  
5. Who was his/her lover, and why might the words be never exchanged?  
6. What is the poem talking about when there can be 'no going back?'

This poem is MINE. Don't steal it, even if it's for an English project. If you DO steal it, give credit to Anij Jinn-K'helyr. Thanks. And I love you, too.

**Now review. I've given you enough.**

* * *

"**HIS AFFECTIONS DARK AS EREBUS..."**

-from _The Merchant of Venice_

Moaning in pleasure, Jayvin rolled to face Enaren. The young male gently pulled her shirt back on.

"Jayvin, you might actually need these..."

But she wanted more. She had fallen for him as well, and fallen hard. Enaren knew she was feeling the same way he had only a few days ago. Did relationships always progress this fast? Or were they just an anomaly? He didn't know, but he forced her to calm down, leaving the room until he no longer heard her calls for him and cries of protest. He returned to the room and saw his angel fast asleep.

Smiling, he returned to the process of getting breakfast. It had been an interesting night, he allowed. But if this were to continue, it would have to remain a secret in order for their officers to still respect them. If anything, Jay would have to become crueler in his direction.

Not that he cared. He had the one he loved. Maybe...perhaps...he could talk to her another time about this, before she let her passions take her over.

* * *

"Well?" deBoer demanded in the bar/club/cafe area of the Azrael.

"One Rigellian Sipping Stem Drink," she ordered. "For you, Enaren?"

"Just a simple Chateu Picard," he replied. "I'm in the mood for one of those." A moment later the server returned, and deBoer repeated her question.

"So what did you do last night?"

"Wait.." he looked at her accusingly. "How do you know?"

"Just a guess, considering I saw Jayvin at the entrance to your room kissing you. No one else saw, don't worry," she sighed, laughing belatedly at his expression. "I don't think I've ever seen you blush before, lover boy," she rearked, grinning ear to ear by now.

"You're drunk," he accused her.

"What do you think these sipping plants are for?"she confirmed.

"I get it, I get it," he sighed.

"Oh, and just a hint..I'm pretty sure your girl likes ropes...she occasionally comes to command with rope burns on her hands and arms, you know," the somewhat intoxicated officer let slip.

"Point taken. I think I'll see you around, Sub-Commander. Keep your secret to yourself," he warned her.

* * *

"Commander, we've got a ship on the radar. It's the _Enterprise_ again, sir."

"Hail them. We've got so much more weaponry and defense than that ship does, it's a joke. Put him on-screen," she ordered, absently fingering the black Borg technology still above her left eyebrow and on her neck.

"Captain Picard," she drawled, looking straight at him.

"Commander Belar. You've changed since the last time I've seen you," Picard remarked, almost sarcastically.

"No, really..."

"You've in violation of Federation space. You are also charged with assault of a Federation vessel without provocation," she ordered suddenly.

"And you're the one ordering me around?"

"Yes, Commander. You have no choice but to surender."

Motioning to put the Azrael under cloak, she turned and smiled evilly at him.

"What about now? Your Federation technology even masks where our transmission is coming in from. You can't see me, Picard. Your precious little Enterrise is totally obsolete," she smirked.

Picard felt the blood draining from his face. How had they gotten ahold of that? The Federation had cloaking technology, but if it were revealed to the Romulans...

"I would like very much to speak with you, Picard. Your ship or mine?" she asked, letting him know already that he wouldn't be able to dispute her terms.

"Mine. Let's meet in half an hour, Commander?"

"Works for me," she sighed. "End transmission."

* * *

Pacing in the transporter room, Will Riker wasn't sure what he was going to do. This child had already

matched Picard and revealed her ace card, the cloaking device.

"Will, calm down! She's not going to shoot you down, you know," Deanna Troi said, coming over to rub her lover's shoulders, hoping he would relax a little. The girl was bringing her telapathic aide as well, and it wasn't always the most desirable thing in the world to have a telepath more powerful thean a Betazoid in the room. But she could handle it. She always had.

* * *

"Captain," she said in greeting.

"Commander Belar," Picard nodded.

"Well, then..." she smirked, "down to business?"

_Careful, Jay. You have no idea what he could be planning. Though at the moment, he's more than a bit...worried._ This led Jayvin to grin inwardly. These people had no idea what they were dealing with.

"Indeed. We need you to return the technology," Picard ordered more than a bit cautiously. "As you can probably understand, the Federation cannot let this be known." Personally, he may disagree with breaking the treaty, but still...

"Oh, I have no intention of harming the Federation or revealing the secret of the origin. I'm not interested in promoting a war, or anything that might cause harm to the innocents in this universe," she remarked casually, grey eyes glinting like steel. Anger overtaking her voice, she then let a comment burst forward. "But you, **Picard**," she spat out, "need to die. You killed the only people I ever had."

Picard had no good comment to respond to that with.

By the end of their 'meeting', she hadn't tried to kill Captain Picard,he had decided to allow them to keep the cloaking technology in return for their silence, and he had grown steadily more uncomfortable with the teenager. It was more than a bit obvious that something had happened in the time between their first encounter and this one.

He realized what it was mere moments after she had left. She, too, had become a Borg.

"This changes everything..." he murmured.

* * *

"Of course I want revenge, Ena-chan," she sighed, using his abbreviated nickname. "Picard—he was—he IS...a monster. To allow my parents to fall like that...he needs to die. Then I can get some peace, sleep knowing that my purpose has been fulfilled...Peace that I will never get anyway..always my fault..something I've done wrong...never..." she drifted off.

He sighed quietly in return. This was her purpose. The only reason she was still alive...to serve as the avenger to her parents. After that, she could rest. Maybe before.

_And no one ever understands. Ever. Why can they not just leave me to die...ropes...pretty..._Jayvin giggled aloud with this thought, more than a little amused. No, not amused. Something in her mind wasn't clicking. Enaren saw the image of a rope binding around her neck, choking her, killing her, as he tapped into her thoughts.

"Jayvin?"

She grinned sickeningly and grabbed hold of the Klingon knife she always carried. She immediately tried to stab her eyes out, laughing loudly when Enaren stopped her, wresting it ouit of her hand. Throwing her to the floor, he heard her cry out, almost in glee.

"See no more, eyes of mine!" she cried, quickly sinking farther and farther into the abyss she had falled into. He was vaguely reminded of Oedipus Rex at the same time, damning Sophocles for choosing to appear.

"Jay! Calm down!"

That was when she managed to grasp the knife again, and plunged it directly into her throat, blood spurting up and bubbling at the cut. She was smiling. _Smiling._ Watching the grisly scene before him, he heard what were presumably her last sounds. A strangled cry of laughter escaped her bloodied lips, the orbs of grey he knew so well beginning to glaze over. Blood spurted from her mouth as she finally coughed, laughing insanely again. Suddenly, her chest hitched, leaving her body to sink to the floor. Her eyes unfocused, and lost their luster. Jayvin's eyes closed. Then the impact of her death hit him.

This wasn't right. It couldn't be real.

"Tapel to CMO, medical emergency, deck seven. Hurry! We have a possible casualty," he cried. As soon as the comm link turned off, he cried in a haunting voice that would have stopped anyone who heard, until he lay beside her, crying in bursts, not even realizing what a profound effect her death was having on his body.

* * *

"He's dying."

"Of course he's dying, idiot! He linked to her with telepathy, and now he's as good as dead," Marcus Kent said, shaking his head. "We can still stabalize the Commander...she's only been dead a few minutes, there's still a chance...hook her up, over there. Now," he ordered, knowing the one machine they had to save souls was her only shot. As a strong pulse of energy was directed through her body, she moved slightly. "Brain activity returning, I think we've got her," Kent yelled to his subordinates. One gave a whooping yell of happiness, until Kent came over and slapped him.

"We still have patients, you know...shut up, lietenant," he fumed, rushing over to the Caitian hybrid's side. _We're not too late, Enaren...wake up._

"There's one more chance for Tapel," he called. Striding over to the area where he kept the vaccines, hypos, and cures for everything he had ever encountered, he brought down one from the farthest corner. He had never encountered it, and didn't think he would, but it had been formulated for Tapel. It would cut off his telepathic abilities completely, and create a dominant set of traits instead to replace the deleted DNA.

Walking over with the hypo in hand, he decided that if Enaren's vitals dropped any lower, he would have to use it. He hoped he wouldn't; the skill he held as the most valuable asset would be taken away. He just hoped it wouldn't be necessary.

* * *

Junior Lieutenant K'lan had heard about Tapel Enaren's recent hopspitalization, as had the rest of the ship. She was just more..concerned. He was part Caitian, she knew, and gently smooting down her ruffled snow-white fur, she decided to try and comfort him. She was fully Caitian, and cared more than a little about anyone of her kind, it was more than expected. In her society, everyone looked after another, regardless of familiarity or not.

Walking into sickbay, she turned her head until she saw the prone form of Tapel Enaren, more human than Caitian.

"I'm not here to harm him," she said gently, her voice musical and kind, much like herself. Eying her warily, the CMO allowed her to pass. She sat next to him, simply placing a feline paw on his hand and purring gently. She slowly closed her eyes as she purred, focusing only on drawing each breath in and out. As she drew each breath, she imagined herself bringing in life, and as she exhaled, she pushed it into the other being. In doing this, she slowly drained her own energy, but as she became tired, Enaren became slowly more at ease, more peaceful. The CMO, Marcus Kent, watched from the far end of the room in awe. Sometimes medicines, cures, and even surgery could do nothing, but something this simple could.

As Enaren's eyes slowly opened, so did Jayvin's. The young Caitian was curled up, sleeping, her white fur a little mussed where her head lay. Her paw was still on his hand, and when awake, Tapel tried his best to move out of the way without waking her. He knew the Caitian lores and traditions, and knew what she had done. Thanking her silently, he walked a bit unsteadily over to Kent.

"I want her name, please," he said, both curious and commanding.

"Junior Lieutenant K'lan. Caitian, age 15. She's one of the refugees that decided to stay," he said. "She comes in every now and again for exhaustion issues, she spends a lot of her time trying to pay the Azrael back for what they did to rescue her."

"She's not a junior lieutenant anymore. I want her to be fully ranked as a lieutenant, when she wakes up let her know to meet me in the club area sometime. Tell her to contact me," he remarked in passing, going over to the now-awakened Jayvin.

* * *

"Jayvin?" he called softly, realizing that this wasn't the first time this week she had been here with serious injuries. "I thought I'd lost you, love," he murmured to her, stroking her short hair, cupping her face in him hand.

"I..." she stared, but just as quickly gave up.

"You...?"

"I owe him one...death..." she murmured. "His dark affections have captured me..."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"No...that was just what he told me before I woke up. He told me that I was to be one of his ladies, one of his loves...because I was his..." she trailed off, recounting her post-mortem experience. Enaren sensed hunger for that kind of love, a need for a master...a need for an uncaring—unfeeling, even—love. A kind of love he doubted he could give.

"I'm sorry, Jayvin...so sorry," he whispered, the tears beginning to flow once more. He couldn't ever heal his angel, and there would never be anything anyone could do.

* * *

YAY! I'm out of school on Easter break, don't have to go back 'till Tuesday. Awesome, huh? I'm also happy because, once again, I saw Master this weekend...heeheeheehee...technicqally it was Thursday and since it's a Saturday...well...so sue me.

And I lied. There will be some bondage in the chappys to come, but not much. Let's call it 'light bondage'. AKA, not what your typical slave has to do. Wait...does that make me an atypical slave? Or a slave with a Master-in-training? (giggles, gets mean look) Sorry, sir... Heh. WHAT! Stop laughing, it's not funny. Just kidding, everyone who knows thinks it is. (goes dreamy and happy) The rope marks are still on **my** arms, too...and my wrists...and I'm happy..,XD. And no, I don't actually care about sharing my throughts on here. Besides, anyone reading this either doesn't know me personally, and if they do, chances are they already know about this. Haha. Like it says on the JinnTwins profile page, I'm honest.

Meep.

I'm also listening to Atreyu. All the songs I've listened to while writing this story, just 'cuz I'm bored...

This is the New Sh-t by Marilyn Manson

The Crimson by Atreyu

Creature by Atreyu

A Vampire's Lament by Atreyu

Watermark by Enya

An Interlude by Atreyu

The Rememberance Ballad by Atreyu

Angel With the Scabbed Wings by Marilyn Manson

This Flesh a Tomb by Atreyu

Ex's and Oh's by Atreyu

Kill the Switch by Circle Takes the Square

Tempus Vernum by Enya

The Celts by Enya

Adiemus by Enya

Cursum Perficio by Enya

Hello by Evanescence

Tourniquet by Evanescence

Drunk on Shadows by HIM

Your Sweet 666 by HIM

Wings of a Butterfly by HIM

Resurrection by HIM

Crawling by Linkin Park

Easier to Run by Linkin Park

Faint by Linkin Park

Forgotten by Linkin Park

Irresponsible Hate Anthem by Marilyn Manson

Long Hard Road out of Hel- by Marilyn Manson

Rock is Dead by Marilyn Manson

Coma White by Marilyn Manson

Vertigo by U2 (Many many many times over and over)

Riverdance Theme by Riverdance

All the Things She Said by Tatu

Reinventing Your Exit by Underoath

I'm Content With Losing by Underoath

Weapons of Mass Deception by The Unseen

Kill to Believe by Bleeding Through

This is How a Heart Breaks by Rob Thomas

Headstrong by Trapt

Left Behind by Slipknot

Bleeding Mascara by Atreyu

Whew! There you have it, I will go ahead and recommend any Enya songs, Adiemus and Amaratine are particularly good, as well as any Evanescence for those depressing chapters. Marilyn Manson forever! U2 is for the upbeat chapters. Linkin Park whenever you feel like it. Riverdance...is random. Use when writing intros and finishing throughts. Same goes for Underoath. Atreyu is great because they are the singlehandedly most awesome and versatile band out there. Hee...I'm done...

Oi. And a happy new year-in April!

-Anij Jinn


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